Tube DIY Asylum: continuum theories rule over quantum theories even at micro-amperes by Mart Do It Yourself (DIY) paradise for tube and SET project builders.

For Sale Ads FAQ / News

Posted by ... just my 2¢ ♪ moderate Mart ♫

☺ Planar Asylum

where speakers are thin & music isn't on May 4, 2012 at 15:49:37

In Reply to: A primer on Modern Physics as it relates to tube amp design posted by op48no1 on May 4, 2012 at 10:03:27:

... especially at true class-A operation.   Nothing is strained.   Everything is running within their linear range.   Plus, chaos theories bound the billions & billions of quantum actions & reactions required to comprise a single micro-ampere such that it's very continuous.

IMHO, there's so much generic real-world garbage involved that component tolerances are surreal if we were discussing quantuum theories.   And, those tolerances are tight compared to speakers IME.   If it's immeasureable today, then someday it will be (as jitter was).

The non-linearities usually arise from other continuum theories. Charged plates in tubes flexing from the signal's varying attracting & repelling forces (much like electro-static speakers).   Micro-phonics from vibrating chokes & transformers which vibrate (much like magneto-dynamic speakers), plus their radiating EMI effects current flowing through on wires & other components.   Then, there's mutual capacitance & inductance.   Also, we have background radiation as in cell-phones & microwaves & high-power lines & house-wiring (not so much big-bang echoes)... yada, yada, yada.

I chose this point to stop because it offers the near definitive point of contention.   Some want a Faraday cage to shield your components from this.   However, if you do, you're reflecting your own component's radiation back onto themselves.   Sure, you could add some radiation absorbent materials, but then your tube amplifier would overheat.   You could use shielded-wire but that won't help your components & adds other issues.

On odd behavior, Jon Risch has good stuff on how continuum theory breaks down on the copper surface/interface due to caustic treatments on silver plated wire.   Similar issues occur during vapor-deposition in metalized-film capacitors.   (It's not all tension of wrap to reduce tube-like micro-phonic plate vibrations.)   I also like his non-bypass inductor stuff if you have tank circuit issues from unintended capacitance in large Henry coils.

Then, there's RFI from switching noise.   Although, this seems more of an issue in solid-state & a @#$%& curse in class-D amplifiers, IMHO.   The RFI from tube amp rectifiers at least seems less, in my limited experience.

This post is made possible by the generous support of people like you and our sponsors:

Tonearm Audio

---

[ Top of Page ] [ Contact Us ] [ Support/Wish List ] [ Copyright © 2013, Audio Asylum, all rights reserved ] [ Take5 ]

---

[ General ] [ Speakers ] [ Tubes ] [ Vinyl ] [ Digital ] [ Hi-Rez ] [ Video Asylum ] [ Cables ] [ Tweaks/DIY ] [ Music ] [ Films ]

---