Valves

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Nelson, I have noticed that you are fond of using transistors as opposed to valves. I also heard a valve amp designer say that he used them purely for marketing and that there was no difference.

I do not know the truth of the matter. What is the bottom line?

I'm not asking whether they sound different but whether we can make an amp sound a given way using valves or transistors?

What are your views on this Nelson?
 
Yes he is a real designer and surely one of the best.

Quote from http://www.ear-usa.com/timdeparavicini.htm

''I don't have to use tubes in my designs; I only do it for marketing reasons. I've got an exact equivalent in solid state. I can make either type do the same job, and I have no preference. People can't pick which is which. And electrons have no memory of where they've been! The end result is what counts.''

The trouble is there are many people who would disagree and refuse to use any amplifier containing transistors.
 
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''I don't have to use tubes in my designs; I only do it for marketing reasons. I've got an exact equivalent in solid state. I can make either type do the same job, and I have no preference. People can't pick which is which. And electrons have no memory of where they've been! The end result is what counts.''

I can't make the same statement. I don't see them as exact
equivalents.

I do, however, understand that it is very difficult to overcome the
biases of many tube lovers. I don't usually direct my efforts at
people who have a lot of device prejudice.

:cool:
 
More fuel to the fire?

Hello from Munich!

It's the annual AES Europe convention just now. And tomorrow there's a paper that looks quite interesting. I quote from http://www.aes.org/events/126/papers/session.cfm?code=P27

P27-8 Subjective and Objective Evaluation of the Audio Vacuum-Tube Amplifiers—Andrzej Dobrucki, Wroclaw University of Technology - Wroclaw, Poland; Stanislaw Maleczek, Military Institute of Engineering Technology - Wroclaw, Poland; Maurycy Kin, Wroclaw University of Technology - Wroclaw, Poland
The subjective and objective evaluation of 5 high-quality vacuum-tube audio amplifiers is presented in this paper. As the reference the professional transistor amplifier has been used. The subjective evaluation has been done by the team of judges as well as with the computer-based psychoacoustic model according with PAQM protocol. The amplifiers’ sound quality assessed by the listeners is consistent with the one evaluated with the use of the psychoacoustic model. It was found that the best sound quality is obtained by vacuum-tube amplifiers, the worst—by the reference amplifier. The results of subjective evaluation are inconsistent with quality assessed by measurement of objective parameters: all amplifiers have comparable quality, but the best is the transistor amplifier because of lowest level of THD+N level.
Convention Paper 7806

I'll report back tomorrow after the paper session! :)
 
but does the objective measurements take into account the complex harmonics that make up the midrange? Does the subjective assessment take into account the individual's satisfaction gained from three separate low, mid and upper frequencies. Tube lovers can often ignore all frequencies and be beguiled by the midrange alone, but at the same time appreciating that the bottom and top end might not sound quite so accurate.
 
It is all so subjective, no one ever dares to use a double blind study. But come on this the entertainment industry and who are we to deny what another mans claims to entertainment. I have an fairly proficient engineer friend ( at least the NSA thinks he is) who claims he can make a jfet sound identical to a tube, it is just a mater of taste. I tend to believe him but late at night after a few margaritas a Jfet just doesn't look as cool.

Bill
 
Ear

If I remember correctly EAR released a solid state preamplifier and monoblocks ~2001 back as their statement products. I worked for a dealer at the time and it left us scratching our heads.

Here is a link for what is available in SS in the US of A:

http://www.ear-usa.com/ear_soldistate.htm

Some friends of my heard the phono stage and said it was among the best they had ever heard. They are picky about their analog stuff too.

Chris

p.s. The transformer coupled mosfet is cute.
 
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Joined 2004
I remember having the magazine that reviewed the two amplifiers by Tim de Paravicini.
One was an 845 SET, the other a Mosfet (single ended?) version. Both chassis' were identically styled. One had a huge 845 sitting on top, the other a T03 cased mosfet mounted on top of a solid cylinder of shiny aluminum, mimicking the 845.:D

As far as I can remember, the midrange was ''IDENTICAL''on both - impossible to tell apart.The bass on the 845 sounded more fulsome but also more loose. The mosfet had a tighter and more controlled bottom end.
The highs were similar also, with the mosfet tending to have better extension and silky smooth ?....hard to recall after all these years.

Anyhow, bottom line was : there was a difference, but it was thought the two were so similar sounding that it was quite amazing.

Wish I still had the magazine:bawling:
 
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Joined 2004
P.S............Nelson, just built the JFET BOZ coupled to a single ended mosfet amplifier (design from diyaudioprojects.com) using T03 cased 2SK176's(similar to your ZEN amplifier, .....sort of).

Having built 300B SE's and 845 SE's and Gainclones, I can clearly state that this amplifier has greater accuracy and transparency than all the others:bigeyes:

I fear that there is a great misconception and conspiracy theory against solid state that is unwarranted!.............I know better now:angel:
 
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