New computer motherboard with integrated tube amp

[ThingyNess]

http://www.hardocp.com/article.html?art=MzAy

[jduncan]

http://www.ntcw.com/aopenax4b533t.htm

There's a big pic of it


WHAT THE HELL are they thinking??? This is the most unbelievably strange product I have seen in a VERY long time.

[BrianGT]

I was under the assumption that tubes only worked when they are orientated in the correct direction, and they they would not work right on their side. Is this correct? (I am not a tube kind of guy). The pictures show the motherboard being used in a standard tower case, with the tube being operated sideways. Does this matter?

What a ridiculous idea. I wonder how they get the high power supply voltages for the tube amp? All of the components around the tube are rated for 400v (the electrolytic and the multicaps).

Home page for this strange motherboard:

AOpen motherboard

The Reliable brand multicaps are moderately expensive, and I would think would make this cost too much to be a viable consumer motherboards. I think that this is a stupid idea. I wonder how it will sell.

--
Brian

[till]

I was under the assumption that tubes only worked when they are orientated in the correct direction

What effect you think should gravitation cause on an elektron ray???

what about tubes in elektric circuits of jets ? they used still tubes in the 1970th in military jets because of EMP.

[BrianGT]

I guess I was just confused. I was also going to ask how they get stereo out of one tube, before I realized that it was a twin triode ...

--
Brian

[Apogee]

Actually,

I find this pretty cool... Depending on the integrated sound chip, this thing might not sound that bad (compared to the standard pc sound cards)...

Also, think about the sheer number of folks who are now into burning their own cd's... Give them the opportunity to purchase a high quality motherboard with audiophile sound - I think they just might buy it...

It's got coolness factor.... Look at the case it's in... Why is this any worse than what we spend on hifi stuff???

Come-on guys and gals, where's your sense of adventure????

http://www.hardocp.com/image.html?im...8xN19sLmpwZw==

Steve

PS - Just think of the arc that'll be created when a component finally fails!!! No more of this puny 5 volt stuff!!!!

[FrankDIY]

You will have to open the tower each year to replace the tube... With this motherboard, I hope that people will not use 15$ labtec speakers!

[mrfeedback]

Return of the tube jockeys...

[dice45]

All,

some remarks i read on the JoeNet suggest this could a gorgeous hoax.
One guy ordered hi purchasing agant to buy and he promised to report, should the purchasing agent have success with it.

Me has no idea about how to generate the high supply voltage on the motherboard in a sane way but i must admit i would loathe having a multiplierchanin usng diodes and capacitors for that and i also would loathe to have a DC/DC converter for that. Best thing would be to have a an insulation trannie and use 110 or 220V from the wall outlet. But what willl the UL guy say to that?

The more i muse about it, the more it seems to be a hoax.

[JohnR]

You don't necessarily need huge voltages to run a tube, 35-40V will do it.