What is "Tube" style sound from amps?
digitalvideo
Posts: 983
I have a Carver/Sunfire, only high end amp I ever owned and not familiar with the styles and sounds of other amps. I hear and read about Carver's "tube" sound. What does that mean and what am I hearing exactly? I've had my Sunfire hooked up to a Polk 7.1 surround system and now a Definitive Technology Mythos ST 5.1 system, I do like the Deftech's better but I don't notice any "tube" style sound, I must be accustomed to it and not sure what to gauge it to?
Post edited by digitalvideo on
Comments
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Reading what others posted on here and on other forums, some people who have owned Sunfire and other brands say the sound of the Sunfire sounded like someone was standing in front of the speakers where as a Parasound opened it up more.
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Tube sound is basically two things.
Lots of even order harmonic distortion. This distortion actually sounds musical and can add to the body of the music. Odd order harmonics do not sound good but modern amps produce it. Very little of it, but they still produce it.
MOSFET transistors are said to produce lots of even order harmonics.
The second piece is clipping. You can drive a guitar amp beyond its limits and it won't sound too harsh. I dare you to try that with a solid state amp and some speakers with tweeters. Your ears will bleed.
Otherwise, it's marketing. -
