I think it's better to use the term "Favorite" or "Preferred" in place of "best". I'd use a nice 6SN7 in everything if money were no factor to me. 🙂
Science is often a component of Art. What makes something scientific is whether knowledge can be used to produce results that are repeatable. Art is an intent to effect senses to cause emotion. Sooooo. The science of amplifier technology can have artistic results.
Science is often a component of Art. What makes something scientific is whether knowledge can be used to produce results that are repeatable. Art is an intent to effect senses to cause emotion. Sooooo. The science of amplifier technology can have artistic results.
What if you need a low source impedance? 6SN7 is pretty mediocre for that. It's a 3" 186 tooth plastic gear (excellent voltage amplifier) where you might want a 12" 240 tooth brass gear (excellent voltage source). That's why the premise of the question is flawed- it doesn't consider the target.
Quote:- "It is VERY easy to do a relatively simple measurement suite and accurately predict if a line amp will be audible"
If it isn't audible, it isn't worth much at all, is it?
If it isn't audible, it isn't worth much at all, is it?
Different tubes are preferred to different designs. A tube that may excel as a voltage amplifier may be very poor as final stage cathode follower. For each design and topology there are at least few tubes that will perform very well.
Amongst others, tubes that will perform well both as voltage amplifiers and cathode followers are E88CC, 6H30 and D3a.
Agreed. It seems to me that high quality amplifiers design requires both science and art, both measurements and listening tests.
The real art is, how to train own perception to know correlation between listening and measuring. SY had been trained. Me too. Do you? Try, you will be surprised, how it is better to just do instead of endless discussions about Science VS Art. They are interdependent. Leonardo drew sketches for science. Also, he measured proportions of human bodies (and internal parts participation in autopsies!), in order to draw better.
Right now my perception is trained to note the differences in sound of different amplifiers. What I found is that I cannot see correlation between the technical data published by the manufacturers and the subjective perception of sound quality. For instance, nowhere did I find a measurement, or set of measurements, that predicts the expanded details and micro-dynamics enabled by a well designed SET power amp.
Since the perception of sound and sound quality is very much subjective, I cannot rely blindly on reports of others.
If there is a set of measurement that can predict precisely the sound quality of amplifiers, I'm eager to know what is this set of measurements.
Since the perception of sound and sound quality is very much subjective, I cannot rely blindly on reports of others.
If there is a set of measurement that can predict precisely the sound quality of amplifiers, I'm eager to know what is this set of measurements.
@SY, as they say, "there's a right tool for every job". So agreed that no one tube can solve every problem. But I can whack a nail in with an 8lb hammer or the back of my shoe even though a 20oz claw hammer is ideal. That would deviate from the "best" debate here though. 🙂
But if my intention were to cobble together some horrific frankenlinestage I'd choose a circuit that would fit the tube I want to use.
For an effective debate we should all agree on the requirements of a line stage. Then we would be able to define circuits that are suitable and possible components. Otherwise we're dealing with infinity here where everything is both right and wrong.
But if my intention were to cobble together some horrific frankenlinestage I'd choose a circuit that would fit the tube I want to use.
For an effective debate we should all agree on the requirements of a line stage. Then we would be able to define circuits that are suitable and possible components. Otherwise we're dealing with infinity here where everything is both right and wrong.
You should play with intentional production of different types of distortions, in dynamics. Oscilloscope, specter analyzer, would help. I trained my self designing analog synthesizers and guitar effects. Understanding of what to do for clean reproduction is a side effect of that activity, the main target was to synthesize sounds I wanted.
However, published data is like a published average temperature of patients in the clinic, it has the same practical value.
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whitelabrat,
Been waiting for someone to say that😀
Linestage? what is it for? is it just a buffer?........
Anyway, I agree 6SN7, 7N7, 6FQ/CG7 et al. Ideal.
Cheers Matt.
Edit: for long runs of cable even a parralel trioded EL84?
Been waiting for someone to say that😀
Linestage? what is it for? is it just a buffer?........
Anyway, I agree 6SN7, 7N7, 6FQ/CG7 et al. Ideal.
Cheers Matt.
Edit: for long runs of cable even a parralel trioded EL84?
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I have neither the time nor the money to try to produce different types of distortions.
I still don't know what measurement/s reveal an amp's micro-dynamics.
If you still don't know, you should spend some time and money on a spectrum analyzing software for your PC. Then play with it increasing-decreasing signal level and observing what happens to harmonics, listening to how it sounds. You may look at an oscilloscope screen as well, simultaneously. You'll definitely find all clues. 😉
I would vote as well, but can't find ECF200, 6J51P, 6J52P, 6J53P, 6P15P, 6P38P. 😀
6P38P is an amazing tube, but I still can't find a reliable source... It may become a new Miss Super-Model! 🙄
I probably wouldn't vote if any member can vote for only 1 tube, since there is no one best tube. However, I'd love to see on the list E88CC, 6H30 and D3a. When both quality and cost are factors, my choice would probably be current production 6H30.
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