Even the geek who has everything...

"Short Wave Sportfishing" <email.TakeThisOut@swsportsremove.org> wrote in message
news:j13ma45qn3utjrj1jt0853t6kg7c8af326@4ax.com...
> On Tue, 19 Aug 2008 13:42:06 -0400, "Eisboch" <nothere.TakeThisOut@nowhere.com>
> wrote:
>
>>
>><salty.TakeThisOut@dog.com> wrote in message
>>news:0vula4hktik9a2a34p1r4rj269gpp77efv@4ax.com...
>>> On Tue, 19 Aug 2008 12:50:49 -0400, "Eisboch" <nothere.TakeThisOut@nowhere.com>
>>> wrote:
>>>
>>>>
>>>><salty.TakeThisOut@dog.com> wrote in message
>>>>news:8vtla4plfhaak7i04po0j6tculgmppjguu@4ax.com...
>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> Yes, and solid state pre amps and power amps are cleaner than tube
>>>>> amps, as well. Clean and accurate reproduction is not necessarily the
>>>>> objective with tube amplifiers for musical instrument amplification.
>>>>>
>>>>> How the power is delivered to tubes can measurably affect things such
>>>>> as rise time and decay. I'm not promising that you can actually hear
>>>>> the difference, but purists will swear they can even if it is a
>>>>> physiological impossibility.
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>>If you think about it though, the "power" is really being delivered by
>>>>one
>>>>or more big filter capacitors. I never asked one if it cared how the
>>>>power
>>>>got there. At that point, DC is DC.
>>>>
>>>>Eisboch
>>>>
>>>
>>> You would think so, wouldn't you! Bear in mind that a vacuum tube is a
>>> mechanical structure and not all of the power is part of the signal
>>> path. You have to account for uneven heat, vibration and other
>>> anomalies that all go into what come out. The vagaries of a wimpy,
>>> tube rectified power supply, with hand rolled paper caps should not be
>>> underestimated.
>>>
>>> Purists will also insist that point to point wiring sounds different
>>> than circuit board construction. They may be right about that in some
>>> cases. Sounds crazy, though...
>>>
>>
>>I'll buy into the point to point wiring. An important critera used in
>>high
>>quality tube amps was to design the chassis so the signal wiring was as
>>far
>>away as possible from the power wiring. And, if you noted any funny
>>noises
>>or distortion, you could always re-route the wires.
>>
>>As for the power supply, I am still not convinced a tube rectifier is
>>going
>>to sound (or display on an O'scope) any different than solid state, if
>>measured at the filter stage or any B+ test point. The audio amplifiers
>>certainly are different between solid state and tubes and that is readily
>>noticeable, even by people with tin ears.
>>But 300 volts DC?
>
> Well, good points every one.
>
> However, I can tell the difference between, say, my Mac 50s and a
> similar power level solid state monoblock.
>
> And I know others who can.
>
> So there must be something to it.
>
> Maybe it's all in our heads.
>
> Mine's certainly empty enough. :>)


Time out. I am not debating the sound of a solid state audio amp versus a
tube audio amp.
The difference is noticeable to many and, IMO the tube amp wins every time.

I am questioning if anyone can really discern a difference in an amp with
tube audio amplifiers that has a solid state, full wave bridge rectifier
versus the same tube type amp that also has a tube rectifier section. In
both cases, the rectifier, tube or solid state, is simply producing the
plate and grid voltages needed for the audio (signal) tube amps.
I just don't think that the resultant, filtered high voltage, regardless of
source, makes any difference in sound or coloration.

Eisboch

On Tue, 19 Aug 2008 16:09:18 -0400, "Eisboch" <nothere DeleteThis @nowhere.com>
wrote:

>Time out. I am not debating the sound of a solid state audio amp versus a
>tube audio amp.
>The difference is noticeable to many and, IMO the tube amp wins every time.
>
>I am questioning if anyone can really discern a difference in an amp with
>tube audio amplifiers that has a solid state, full wave bridge rectifier
>versus the same tube type amp that also has a tube rectifier section. In
>both cases, the rectifier, tube or solid state, is simply producing the
>plate and grid voltages needed for the audio (signal) tube amps.
>I just don't think that the resultant, filtered high voltage, regardless of
>source, makes any difference in sound or coloration.

All else being equal I'd have to agree. I guess it's possible that a
solid state rectifier substituted for a vacuum tube rectifier could
result in some subtle voltage differences.