John Curl's Blowtorch preamplifier part II

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Maybe not, but to me the better the soundstage is defined, the easier it get to hear smaller detail from every instrument.
So true. It is an indication of how well the lower level details are handled and allowed to be heard easier, as a rule. I was just saying that it is not the first thing that most people listen for when listening to a system.
Today most "accurate" systems, split my head wide open, but thankfully there are many wonderful products that measure flat that do not exhibit this behavior. So much for frequency response being the tell tall sign of an accurate "sounding" system :D
 
IMO audiophiles do not care much about real life sound, also they often do not visit concerts of unamplified music.

In fact there is not much 'localization' when one visits such concert.

I completely agree with that.

No one said that. It is icing on the cake. I listen to the signature of the instruments first and foremost, then the attack/decay, then the acoustics aspect of a recording.

Where did anyone state that soundstage was the most important aspect of listening to music?

So, if it's just icing on the cake there must be a cake - and from what I hear when listening to a hi-fi systems we are so far from the baked cake that there is no sense in bothering with the icing.
 
While I have heard excellent examples of sound stage imaging, I am mostly a MONO man. I started that way, back in the 1960's, had trouble with 2 K horns and getting them to image, and frankly I just don't care that much with my WATT's that I use today. It is a matter of choice as to what you want to concern yourself with.
My first experience with TRIODE tubes was working in a hi end store in 1965. We didn't sell them, but we had them positioned around the repair area, so we could listen to music while we worked. The sound was better than the Dyna MK3's (ultra-linear tube) that I used at home, at the time. We all noted this, and this began my quest to match or beat the best triode tube amps. A few years later, while working at Ampex, I came back to the store, to do a shootout between my first solid state unit; complementary, Class AB-1, direct coupled power amp, and the Radiocraftsman Triode amp of the same power, measured distortion at 1 W, bandwidth (100KHz), and damping factor. The Radiocraftsman Triode amp won. I have been working ever since to beat the tube amp, and I have succeeded for the most part, but the SAME people who designed the Radiocraftsman Triode amp have been busy as well, going on to make the Marantz tube line, and ultimately the Sequerra tube line. In fact, I spoke to two of the designers, just this week, and asked them, once again, why this is so. It is just that solid state parts are just too compromised by their very nature. However, that does not mean that we can't make darn good sounding solid state products, in fact, sometimes better in a number of areas of listening pleasure. It is just that those who are 'stuck' on Triodes, usually will not give up the specific sound quality that Triodes in Class AB-1 give. Now, I do not include Pentodes, Class B circuits like McIntosh, or hybrids, as I find that we can make solid state that can be just as good or better than most commercial products using tubes.
Why this is so, is partially what I try to address on this thread, when given a chance.
 
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Well, they are more linear, without added local feedback, have a naturally low output impedance that makes transformers happier and reduces IIM. They also are limited in the amount of global negative feedback that you can put around them.
Tubes, naturally have a more ideal input, better than a bipolar transistor certainly, but still somewhat better than either a jfet or mos-fet. Look at the latest input from K-wood in the sticky thread above, to understand some of this. This removes FM distortion, I am told, or PIM. So the experts tell me.
 

iko

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- power supplies: I've done some prelim tests on regulated power supplies with the final output stage (a buffer for instance) located remotely at the circuit to be powered, with the actual regulator separate. Like remote sensing, but now with the output stage remoted. Looks promising, but because of the longer lines, is a devil to get both wideband and stable.
jd

Jan, may I ask why not use remote sensing? Even with the buffer/final output stage right next to the load you'll still have some wire inductance that might (most likely will) affect the wideband possibly achieved in the rest of the circuit.
 
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Jan, may I ask why not use remote sensing? Even with the buffer/final output stage right next to the load you'll still have some wire inductance that might (most likely will) affect the wideband possibly achieved in the rest of the circuit.

Yes, it will make wideband performance harder in either case, but with the buffre at the load I at least don't have to worry about the inductance of the load connection. Make the problem smaller, at least I hope. Looks like it will work.

jd
 
My sources have more degrees than you, SYN08, and 50 years more experience. They are not interested in you, and your opinions on the subject. They have already visited this website, on occasion, and wonder why I even bother to contribute here, especially with all the controversy, by people whom they consider 'clueless'.
I am just the messenger here, I like the controversy, but it should be understood that these people have little regard for your approach to audio design.
 
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iko

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Yes, it will make wideband performance harder in either case, but with the buffre at the load I at least don't have to worry about the inductance of the load connection. Make the problem smaller, at least I hope. Looks like it will work.
jd

Interesting; I'm thinking out loud here... with the buffer at the load, 2cm length of 1mm diameter wire amounts to about 14nH inductance, which, can be significant. Theoretically one should be better off with remote sensing, unless I'm missing something again?
 
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