The Superiority Of Tubes Over Transistors In Class A Amplification Audio Equipment

[@mfisher702]

This is a fantastic presentation. Thanks 👌🏼

[@HerbertShooler]

Please please please make a headphone amplifier,it would be awesome.

[@vespass225]

Daer sir, the speakers you have visible in video, what driver etc are used?

[@sw1xaudiodesign]

sw1xad.co.uk/products/sw1x-studio-monitors/

[@majtextwriter1794]

If you ask a friend or two to play guitar and sing in your room... I am not sure that will sound "analogue" in a way that usually tubes do presentation - for me it is like being in jacuzzi--- very pleasant, embracing sound, (too) big bodied, full sounding voices and instruments,but also lazy or very lazy dynamic and colored or very colored sound - depends on amp mode and tubes of course. Also there is more or less always some grainy impression - perhaps i did have a chance to hear a really good tube amp by so far, I do not know... but I am not a tube fan, despite I like them very much on its own way. Good transistor amp for my ears has more "analogue" smoothness and real lively presentation, and more natural timbre and more proportional body of instruments in a sound stage.And I am also in DIY speakers with full range drivers, no passive crossover, even with no banana plugs. But I think having an active signal correction does a great job in this case. I also have reflections treatment on all my room sides. Kind regards.

[@edwardbit8225]

Hi as below will you be designing a headphone amp at any stage? your great work demands to be heard through the headphone community-thanks

[@alistairbotterill340]

In the absence , you could try Eternal Arts Headphone amps. OTL design, simply sublime.

[@johnh539]

Your system looks beautiful and I'm shore sounds even better. I have an expensive Valve baist system with a clarity that even if I was to describe it people could not conceive. It is frankly so good as to be sometimes problematic . Take the track 'Dogs' from Pink Floyds 'Animals' album for example, which I bought the first week it came out as I was already obsessed with Pink Floyd. Long story short I have listened to it verry loud and verry quietly hundreds of times over the years. Streaming music through full fibre onwards recently I heard for the first time ever that (Presumably) Nick Mason trough out the recording is tapping the time signature for the tune on a closed High hat . (Note I was Streaming so I am not sertón what remaster it was). To be honest the above story is just to give a context to my understanding of the advantages of Valves. In the digital domain specifications are important because they define the maximum capabilities of your signal path. Every one and zero has to be accurate to 0.00+, -- levels. Valves have distortion rates that would ruin a digital signal, because like a well tuned instrument their distortions work in frequency harmonics not in linier progression like a digital signal. Second, third level harmonics and on, of "Even" harmonic distortion there for just make the sound sweeter and unlike in digital "Odd" level Harmonics cancel each other out at the 'second' and 'third' harmonics. which is what we would hear as noise. The primary signal does of coarse contain odd harmonics that are vital to the edge on a pressingly high note or the kick of a bullet. Indeed the misconception that valves have a "Sound" is forgetting that they can shrill (Scream)with the best of them. And the BEST bit! Changing your whole sound system is as easy as "Tube Rolling". Note my experience is limited to Balanced Valve Amp's, I look forward to my next adventure "Signal Ended Amps"

[@michelcouvrette7930]

Bull shit

[@nickdoughty518]

But transistors will have been used throughout the recording process so the 'transistor sound' will be embedded in the recorded sound, long before your final valve/tube amplifier stage.

[@sw1xaudiodesign]

that is precisely the reason as why matering studios are employing a RTR tape recorders or tube amps in the final stages of mastering in order to "smoothen out the sterility, hardness and edges" of recordings

[@nickdoughty518]

@sw1xaudiodesign is this widespread use in mastering studios or only at the fringes of the industry?

[@sw1xaudiodesign]

@@nickdoughty518 have no data of the industry as a whole, only for those mastering studios that care use our equipment or those that we heard from

[@williammeincke9071]

Why dont you try make 3 way speakers crossoverless deisgn, with op amp crossover after the preamp powering seperate amplifiers.

[@andreas7278]

I am pretty sure that they would love to avoid any usage of op amps in all of their designs. They are the opposite of musicality.

[@stephenmcknight7474]

He is spot on about tubes.

[@andreas7278]

@@Billynomates-1980 Which amplifiers did you own in order to come to the general conclusion that amplifiers hardly matter and money is better spent elsewhere?

[@stephenmcknight7474]

I'm sorry but amplifiers do matter considerably. I've been in this hobby a long time.

[@andreas7278]

​@@Billynomates-1980 Fair enough, I was just curious since you made a very general statement of which you seemed very convinced. Typically people then have made very specific experiences on why and how they came to that conclusion. The intention was not to start a debate but a real question. One can always learn from someone else's experience and take away something for himself despite all the different variables at place.

[@thinkIndependent2024]

What about Heated Tubes

[@neps4th]

What about heated transistors??😅

[@MrBazsi888]

i have tube dac, tube ddc, tube amp, tube cd.

[@connorduke4619]

A compelling argument. However why then do transistor amps like Musical Fidelity A1 still sound warm?

[@monzarace]

Because they are driven in class A, and the transistors are fully on, not shifting on/off all the time. I have had an A1 for 30 years myself. Cheers.

[@neps4th]

A superb question! Is it due do large continuous current/electron flow keeping base/emitter at stable temperature which, I believe, suppresses "popcorn/shot" noise in the b.e. junction. ??

[@neps4th]

Furthermore, have you noticed that most amps, regardless of type, usually always sound best after warm up!

[@monzarace]

I play LP's. And I play with tubes or a hybrid. Depends. I don't forgive noise on LP's as I find it irritating. And LP's are not just musically, they lack dynamics after the first third of the track. Hence some people records one album on 3 LP's. Cheers.

[@MasterofPlay7]

even solid state has class a too

[@oliverbeard7912]

Noise does matter because finer details can be buried and dynamic contrasts reduced.

[@williamcampbell3868]

This is from a 64 year old Black man O.G and music loving audiophile,(my full title!🤣) .I agree that noise does matter for the reasons you stated. However the same applies if the background is too quiet. Atmosphere and presence is is too often sacrificed by silence! Particularly in the digital recording process. My personal preferences are that I like transistors on bass definition and tubes on midrange and treble. They are also more dynamic than transistors of equal power. This is why I prefer speakers with bi amp capabilities.

[@oliverbeard7912]

@@williamcampbell3868 Hi. Noise is only OK if it's due to the recordings or from the instrumentation itself. Otherwise it doesn't belong in the musical picture and is an unwanted artifact produced by the system itself. Anything additive will ultimately remove something from the performance.

[@williamcampbell3868]

@@oliverbeard7912 Deeeyes!, Agreed! No adding or subtraction,(or arithmetic!🤣🤣). Don't mind me too much.(silly mood sometimes).