Towertalk
[Top] [All Lists]

[TowerTalk] Tube vs Transistor

To: <towertalk@contesting.com>
Subject: [TowerTalk] Tube vs Transistor
From: "Tom Rauch" <w8ji@contesting.com>
Reply-to: Tom Rauch <w8ji@contesting.com>
Date: Wed, 17 Nov 2004 08:55:37 -0500
List-post: <mailto:towertalk@contesting.com>
We took a "high end" tube stereo with low distortion and a
fair quality solid state stereo and did a blind test with a
few people who claimed they could hear the difference.

There wasn't the slightest indication anyone could tell any
difference. The minute we added distortion they called it
"better"!

I worked on a small tube type amplifier "designed" by a tube
lover, and it had horrible distortion caused by improper
resistor selection. It was very easy to see the distortion
on a scope, let alone measure it with distortion meters.

When I corrected the bias and load resistor values, a tube
audio guru had an absolute fit. He claimed I "ruined" the
fidelity and "warmth" of the amplifier. Restoring resistor
values so the tubes produced non-symmetrical waveforms
brought the "warmth" back into the sound.

Some people like distorted or non-linear audio.  Nothing
wrong with that. Let's just not paint it as being "cleaner".

73 Tom


_______________________________________________

See: http://www.mscomputer.com  for "Self Supporting Towers", "Wireless Weather 
Stations", and lot's more.  Call Toll Free, 1-800-333-9041 with any questions 
and ask for Sherman, W2FLA.

_______________________________________________
TowerTalk mailing list
TowerTalk@contesting.com
http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/towertalk

<Prev in Thread] Current Thread [Next in Thread>