Tube amps

[nascarmann]

This is something I came across on the web.


The "tube amplifier" became popular a few decades ago because, when driven to distortion, the harmonic generation content emitted by the loudspeakers gradually cut in and increased in level somewhat pleasantly. Newer solid-state amplifiers are linear up to the status of "saturation", then they produce harsh "clipping" harmonics for any higher level drive.
I heard that sound produces a stress reaction (adrenalin?) in the body once it reaches a certain level, which I guess is why people like it loud. Maybe we should uses other means to stress people out instead :)

[rlw]

Originally posted by nascarmann
This is something I came across on the web.


The "tube amplifier" became popular a few decades ago because, when driven to distortion, the harmonic generation content emitted by the loudspeakers gradually cut in and increased in level somewhat pleasantly. Newer solid-state amplifiers are linear up to the status of "saturation", then they produce harsh "clipping" harmonics for any higher level drive.
I heard that sound produces a stress reaction (adrenalin?) in the body once it reaches a certain level, which I guess is why people like it loud. Maybe we should uses other means to stress people out instead :)

That's rather misleading, IMO. Tube amps became popular a few decades ago b/c that's all there was: the transistor amp hadn't been invented.

Also, tube amps are exceptionally linear to the point of clipping, just like solid state. The difference is in the nature of distortion produced when the amps clip: bottles produces harmonics that are thought to sound better to the ear than the distortions produced by sand clipping. That's why a 5W tube amp will smoke a 5W sand amp.

Of course, it's easy to make a 500W sand amp: transistors run quite cool and more reliably, so you can use a bunch of 'em in the output stage. With enough power, theoretically, you'll never drive the amp into clipping...and there goes *that* advantage of the bottle.

[nascarmann]

That's rather misleading, IMO. Tube amps became popular a few decades ago b/c that's all there was: the transistor hadn't been invented.

Is that right. Wow, I must be in a time distortion?
The rest sounds right!

[rlw]

Originally posted by nascarmann


Is that right. Wow, I must be in a time distortion?
The rest sounds right!

Geez, forget one three letter word and everybody's gonna notice...I'm gonna edit that original post to include an "a", an "m", and a "p"!

[nascarmann]

I'm not positive on this one so here I go.
I beleive the first transistor amp was made back in the 1940's? It was not much, but it was the FIRST!

Let the bashing begin! :eek:

[rlw]

Originally posted by nascarmann
I'm not positive on this one so here I go.
I beleive the first transistor amp was made back in the 1940's? It was not much, but it was the FIRST!

Let the bashing begin! :eek:

No bashing...but sticking with accepted history, Shockey et al at Bell labs got the transistor working in 1947(?)...however, even if they then sat down and immediately developed an audio power amp, that fact isn't germane to this discussion, IMO: we're talking about gear that was "popular" - and a couple of Bell-lab-rats tinkering doesn't make it commercial gear.

Commercial sand amps starting showing up in the 60's, quite a while after tube amps were available. Valves definitely had a head start. Who knows what story would be told if it was the other way around - sand first? I'm not saying the first sand amps sounded great ... but remember that they were compared to the relatively mature technology of tubes.

[Aaron]

What's "sand" mean?

Aaron

[rskarvan]

Sand is composed mostly of silicon.
So are transistors - silicon wafers.

Sand Amp = Solid State.

[Aaron]

I see. I do recall someone saying sand was made up primarily of silicone, but I didn't remember that (and therefore couldn't put 2 and 2 together to get 5). Thanks for the info.

Aaron

[joe logston]

the sand is silica sand they use it in tile grouts, they melt it and make glass it is a white sand, but it is clear though

[rlw]

Originally posted by Aaron
couldn't put 2 and 2 together to get 5

Aaron

Sorry about that, Aaron. As you've probably guessed, I put 2 and 2 together and sometimes get 5, sometimes 3, but rarely 4.