• WARNING: Tube/Valve amplifiers use potentially LETHAL HIGH VOLTAGES.
    Building, troubleshooting and testing of these amplifiers should only be
    performed by someone who is thoroughly familiar with
    the safety precautions around high voltages.

Best line stage tube?

What is the best line stage tube?

  • ECC81

    Votes: 5 9.6%
  • ECC82

    Votes: 9 17.3%
  • ECC83

    Votes: 6 11.5%
  • ECC88

    Votes: 30 57.7%
  • ECF80

    Votes: 1 1.9%
  • ECL82

    Votes: 1 1.9%

  • Total voters
    52
  • Poll closed .
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Could some of what is being described as microdynamics also be slew rate limiting due to bandwidth limitations at higher power levels, which are needed for impules reproduction?

No, it is mostly about low levels. It is easy today to introduce a fast powerful amp with very low THD on levels approaching clipping, but the price we pay for it is increase of audible distortions with lowering of level. Contrary, SE power amps usually are nice reproductors of fine details, but intermodulation on fortissimo suffers.
 
But again, no definitions, just handwaving. If you have a good dynamic range and low distortion, the signal will pass unscathed, microdynamics and umbrellas included.

The question is, will it pass unchanged according the screen of oscilloscope, or to human perceptions. Tools forgive when distortions increase with dicreasing of sound level, but ears don't. They expect diametrically different things.
 
No, it is mostly about low levels. It is easy today to introduce a fast powerful amp with very low THD on levels approaching clipping, but the price we pay for it is increase of audible distortions with lowering of level. Contrary, SE power amps usually are nice reproductors of fine details, but intermodulation on fortissimo suffers.

Possibly Allen Wright's differential power amp exhibits good reproduction of fine details without excessive intermodulation on fortissimo.
 
What i ment with truth is that a totally transparent amplfier chain may sound horrid from time to time when the source material is flawed.

It sounds to me like a sandpaper on tongue. I heard many times from people who were zombified by SS marketing propaganda that we who design or use tube amplifiers love distortions, but hate transparent reproduction.


Rock, rap, and the rest of modern heavy compressed material sounds better on some SS amps on which sound horrid very clean recording of voices and acoustic instruments in nice reverberating environment.

Why?

They hit different weak points. Measured as transparent amps kill dynamics of decay of strings and reverberation that does not exist in heavy compressed material.

And vice verse, now with steady high levels damaged by intermodulation.

But it is possible to minimize both obstacles. How? It is the question. 😉
 
What i ment with truth is that a totally transparent amplfier chain may sound horrid from time to time when the source material is flawed.

I'd put it differently: with a transparent electronics chain, horrible recordings will sound horrible. 😀

For me, it is helpful to have any signal processing have the ability to be switched off- a "sound sweetener" is a dumb device which performs the same distortions on bad and good material alike.
 
Hi everyone,

the discussion about microdynamics really reminds me of the discussion about tube vs. SS guitar amplifiers.
In the case of tube amplifiers, also the higher "dynamic range" is praised.
And subjectively, I can hear that higher dynamic range, too (and love it).

But if I measure, I can actually see, that the dynamic range of that "oh-so dynamic tube amp" is smaller with earlier clipping (but soft-clipping). In a way, this is more or less what a compressor effect does.
I am not talking about really hard compression, as is used in many modern music production (as Wavebourn stated). But with a very soft compression effect, the low level details are getting much more noticeable without compromising the "fortissimo levels" too much. Sounds familiar?
Many guitar players use compressors (with low settings) to get the sound "more dynamic".
Therefore I would second SY's suggestion to actually listen to an GOOD compressor effect (with low to moderate settings) and to a true bypass and choose yourself if you like it or not.
You may be in for a surprise.

Martin
 
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