Tube amps

nascarmann
nascarmann Posts: 1,464
edited February 28 in Clubhouse Archives
This is something I came across on the web.


The "tube amplifier" became popular a few decades ago because, when driven to distortion, the harmonic generation content emitted by the loudspeakers gradually cut in and increased in level somewhat pleasantly. Newer solid-state amplifiers are linear up to the status of "saturation", then they produce harsh "clipping" harmonics for any higher level drive.
I heard that sound produces a stress reaction (adrenalin?) in the body once it reaches a certain level, which I guess is why people like it loud. Maybe we should uses other means to stress people out instead :)
Oh, the bottle has been to me, my closes friend, my worse enemy!
Post edited by RyanC_Masimo on
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  • rlw
    rlw Posts: 231
    edited March 2002
    Originally posted by nascarmann
    This is something I came across on the web.


    The "tube amplifier" became popular a few decades ago because, when driven to distortion, the harmonic generation content emitted by the loudspeakers gradually cut in and increased in level somewhat pleasantly. Newer solid-state amplifiers are linear up to the status of "saturation", then they produce harsh "clipping" harmonics for any higher level drive.
    I heard that sound produces a stress reaction (adrenalin?) in the body once it reaches a certain level, which I guess is why people like it loud. Maybe we should uses other means to stress people out instead :)

    That's rather misleading, IMO. Tube amps became popular a few decades ago b/c that's all there was: the transistor amp hadn't been invented.

    Also, tube amps are exceptionally linear to the point of clipping, just like solid state. The difference is in the nature of distortion produced when the amps clip: bottles produces harmonics that are thought to sound better to the ear than the distortions produced by sand clipping. That's why a 5W tube amp will smoke a 5W sand amp.

    Of course, it's easy to make a 500W sand amp: transistors run quite cool and more reliably, so you can use a bunch of 'em in the output stage. With enough power, theoretically, you'll never drive the amp into clipping...and there goes *that* advantage of the bottle.
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  • nascarmann
    nascarmann Posts: 1,464
    edited March 2002
    That's rather misleading, IMO. Tube amps became popular a few decades ago b/c that's all there was: the transistor hadn't been invented.

    Is that right. Wow, I must be in a time distortion?
    The rest sounds right!
    Oh, the bottle has been to me, my closes friend, my worse enemy!
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  • rlw
    rlw Posts: 231
    edited March 2002
    Originally posted by nascarmann


    Is that right. Wow, I must be in a time distortion?
    The rest sounds right!

    Geez, forget one three letter word and everybody's gonna notice...I'm gonna edit that original post to include an "a", an "m", and a "p"!
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  • nascarmann
    nascarmann Posts: 1,464
    edited March 2002
    I'm not positive on this one so here I go.
    I beleive the first transistor amp was made back in the 1940's? It was not much, but it was the FIRST!

    Let the bashing begin! :eek:
    Oh, the bottle has been to me, my closes friend, my worse enemy!
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  • rlw
    rlw Posts: 231
    edited March 2002
    Originally posted by nascarmann
    I'm not positive on this one so here I go.
    I beleive the first transistor amp was made back in the 1940's? It was not much, but it was the FIRST!

    Let the bashing begin! :eek:

    No bashing...but sticking with accepted history, Shockey et al at Bell labs got the transistor working in 1947(?)...however, even if they then sat down and immediately developed an audio power amp, that fact isn't germane to this discussion, IMO: we're talking about gear that was "popular" - and a couple of Bell-lab-rats tinkering doesn't make it commercial gear.

    Commercial sand amps starting showing up in the 60's, quite a while after tube amps were available. Valves definitely had a head start. Who knows what story would be told if it was the other way around - sand first? I'm not saying the first sand amps sounded great ... but remember that they were compared to the relatively mature technology of tubes.
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  • Aaron
    Aaron Posts: 1,853
    edited March 2002
    What's "sand" mean?

    Aaron
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  • rskarvan
    rskarvan Posts: 2,374
    edited March 2002
    Sand is composed mostly of silicon.
    So are transistors - silicon wafers.

    Sand Amp = Solid State.
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  • Aaron
    Aaron Posts: 1,853
    edited March 2002
    I see. I do recall someone saying sand was made up primarily of silicone, but I didn't remember that (and therefore couldn't put 2 and 2 together to get 5). Thanks for the info.

    Aaron
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  • joe logston
    joe logston Posts: 882
    edited March 2002
    the sand is silica sand they use it in tile grouts, they melt it and make glass it is a white sand, but it is clear though
    . rt-7 mains
    rt-20p surounds
    cs-400i front center
    cs-350 ls rear center
    2 energy take 5, efects
    2- psw-650 , subs
    1- 15" audiosource sub

    lets all go to the next ces.
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  • rlw
    rlw Posts: 231
    edited March 2002
    Originally posted by Aaron
    couldn't put 2 and 2 together to get 5

    Aaron

    Sorry about that, Aaron. As you've probably guessed, I put 2 and 2 together and sometimes get 5, sometimes 3, but rarely 4.
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