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Tubes Asylum Questions about tubes and gear that glows. FAQ |
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Tubes Asylum Questions about tubes and gear that glows. FAQ |
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In Reply to: Do to many tubes get in the way of the music? posted by Sticking my toe in...... on September 27, 2000 at 06:38:03:
SMTI,Another very good question. To be honest, you are correct. The distortion (in the form of harmonic distortion, intermodulation distortion, etc) is additive.
So, if you have three components, which by themselves have an inherent error (or distortion) built in. Then, by stinging them in series---the resultant signal coming off out of the amp---is much greater than the THD or IM of a single unit, alone.
All this colors the music. If you are from the school that the components should not color or distort the music, or be as transparent as possible, then a tube system can't compete with a good solid state system.
But, music is more than flat 20-20K Hz transparent response. Sometimes, harmonics and overtones give the final sound a warmer more mellow tone, than a solid state system. Think of it as a “good†type of coloration. Whereas, the solid state system might make the final tone sound flat and without character.
To be honest, I've heard $20,000 tube systems (including speakers) and $10,000 solid-state systems---and to my ears, they both sound darn good. The final tone is system and setup dependent. But, it’s the final timbre that is most important. Whether it’s tubes or transistors, if you like what you hear---that’s all you need to know.
Now, if you're talking guitar amps---it’s a whole different game. We guitar nuts want a ton of distortion and over drive and harmonics---at the right time. Literally, at our fingertips (kinda activated by the style used to play the guitar).
Tube amps seem to enhance the “correct†distortion and tone we are trying to achieve. Solid-state lead guitar amps are just too clean. No fuzz or great second-order harmonics. No swirling overtones. Stomp or effects boxes can't seem to match the desired tone.
So, until Silicon Valley can come up with a MOSFET circuit that best simulates a Mullard EL 34, a RCA 6L6GC, or a good ECC83---I think you’ll still see tubes in these amps.
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Follow Ups
- Re: Do to many tubes get in the way of the music? - steven oda 12:12:16 09/27/00 (0)
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