|
Audio Asylum Thread Printer Get a view of an entire thread on one page |
For Sale Ads |
199.114.223.68
In Reply to: RE: Latest project posted by op48no1 on April 01, 2012 at 19:54:16
Transistors are cleaner performers now, easily. But they do not have tube tone. When you live without it like I have now, though, the "warmer" transistor amps with the clear detailing won't make you wondering much about the tube sound loss. If you wean off of tubes, which is hard when you get to like them.
Going in new directions (your own frontiers) is a more exciting way to live.
Follow Ups:
I have no strong argument with what you say, but I do think it is specious to talk about amplifiers in isolation from the speakers they have to drive. For a low efficiency, low impedance electromagnetic speaker with multiple drivers (if you like that sort of thing), solid state has definite advantages. However, there are many other types of speakers where particular types of tube amplifiers sound best, to my ears. Too many discussions of the relative merits of this or that type of amplifier seem to proceed on the unspoken premise that we can hook up an amplifier directly to our brains. Not yet.
The amp should be a good fit for the speakers.
I have some Magnapan SMGc's . They sounded great with a Samson solid state push pull MOSFET PA amp. I think it was like 275W per channel.
With my Magnavox 2 way horns, much higher EF, a low powered SE tube amp is better fit and sound. But I use C4S on the driver tube, so there are SS devices in the circuit.
I would not mind trying to build a hybrid amp with tube driver and some sort of SE output stage in the future.
Me too. I thought about trying to devise a tube input stage to drive one of Nelson Pass' First Watt output stages. Might do it if Nelson would help.
I also don't mind sand in my amps, but am curious about your comments. Why did you (and dt667 too) suggest a tube input and solid state output? What about solid state driver and tube output stage? Speaker damping?
Thanks,
Dan
Speaking for myself only, I have to admit that my preference for a tube input is only based on my preference for tubes vs solid state, in general, and my bias that voltage gain stages are therefore best implemented with tubes. I don't much care about "damping factor" per se, because I use full-range ESL speakers, and ESL speakers do not generate significant back EMF that needs to be countered by amplifier damping. However, a transistor output stage might be advantageous in relation to size, heat generated, and, yes, low output impedance without the need for output coupling transformers. (I have always used OTL tube amps, where output Z is always sort of an issue and where there is no substitute for lots of output tubes to generate sufficient power and reasonably acceptable output Z.) Since the output stage, as I understand it, adds little in the way of gain, solid state devices would be acceptable as a substitute for an OTL tube output stage. Plus, I have always liked Moscode amps and those hybrid Counterpoint amps can sound good as well, athough I have not heard one in 20 years, probably. I know there have been products that do it the other way around: ss input with tube output, but that seems back asswards to me, given my biases and intended use.
nt
I can enjoy great SS amps. I posted before the better SS amps outperform vintage unmodified middle of road tube type amps per my ears for detail and clairity plus are not edgy sounding either.
My best ampifier is a DIY all triode single ended design that were expensive to build. Just the audio transformers cost would buy a fine SS amp. So far this amp does have a performance edge, yet limited to only 3 watts.
Post a Followup:
FAQ |
Post a Message! |
Forgot Password? |
|
||||||||||||||
|
This post is made possible by the generous support of people like you and our sponsors: