harrus@aluxe.UUCP (HARRUS) (04/19/85)
Question: For high quality amplifiers (really high quality) is it better to use vacuum tubes or solid state devices? I will appreciate any answers by E-mail and will post a summary to this news-group. alain harrus aluxe!harrus
rfg@hound.UUCP (R.GRANTGES) (04/19/85)
The golden ears will tell you that tubes are best. The most expensive amplifiers, by far, are tube type. I wish it were so, because I still understand tube design and never got equally familiar with those new fangled transistor thing-a-ma-bobs. However, I think you will find that those who really do understand amplifier design will tell you A) It's the design that counts, not so much the choice of active device, and B) Other things being equal, transistors win by a mile (well, half a mile). I guess it might depend, somewhat, on what type (application) you are talking about. I assumed in the foregoing you were talking about so-called power amplifiers. Preamplifiers might be another thing if the tube guys ever got "flicker noise" licked, which I can't recall if they did. I think not. Again, its probably the design brilliance rather than the device choice (of course the same design cannot be used with any device. I mean designs of equal brilliance, sincerity and aptness of thought). -- "It's the thought, if any, that counts!" Dick Grantges hound!rfg