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March 1, 2006 - 1:24pm
#1
SS vs tube power
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Yes, though I don't know the exact degree and over triple the power seems a bit much.
I think he was referring to the fact that tubed amps are much more graceful when overdriven or when they start clipping.
They do give the appearance of "playing louder than their watts," but only because they sound less unpleasant in that condition than a similarly rated SS amp.
I've never heard a ratio of SS to tube watts, though, it's really a subjective thing.
I'd say, instead of looking for a certain number of watts, look for a tube amp whose volume knob goes up to "eleven".
Yes, it was more of a sound question, rather than a physics question.
Who makes one that goes to eleven? Cause when you need that little bit extra that would be a nice option.
It has susequently been explained as a function of tube amps having a higher amperage as in AxV=W
Chris
(still looking for eleven)
Watts is watts. Ohms law is not a variable. Buddha is correct. Tubes when driven into clipping do so gracefully. Solid state when driven into clipping does so abruptly and produces lots of odd order distortion. Tubes gradually produce increasing amounts of even order distortion. Even order distortion is not nearly as harsh on the ears.
What kind of amp/s do you have?
I would guess the answer lies somwhere in your 4200 watts.
Chris
(would trade eleven for 4200)
Chris, if you really must have eleven re-paint the numbers around your volume control. If you do this you could have "12" or heaven forbid "13".
WATTS, there is NO SUBSTITUTE. To move air, at realistic levels, WATTS needed, into LARGE DRIVRS. You can't make it REAL, if the air don't MOVE. 3dB is 10X the power, 100W amp, yeah, so double the level...10 X 100 is? Duh...Even with speaker system at 96dB/1W 2.83V...To control teh drivers, make the bass REAL, not BLOSE bass...current, speed, etc. It's easy for a 300W pc amp to run out of steam on 116Db levels. 4200W has the reserve, the CURRENT to move air...and not always loud, but give IMPACT and details, not enough power, stuff is lifeless, flat, compressed, same speakers with plenty of reserve start to pen up, more and more. That amp that was marketed at 100W and only deleivered like 500W in tests, yeah, that's worth $70K !!! That thing is junk. Useless. Let alone appears to be fraud..oh, but I digress, it did have beautiful metal work.....leave out the watts, make the case thicker, now that's high end audio. Ther eis no way you can create LIVE IMPACT on miniscule watts, it's just IMPOSSIBLE, now I'm sure the Altec horn crowd will tell me they do it with 10W of special tube power. And each watt is $500...so it has to be true.
If 116db is the kind of levels you use that would explain why you can't hear cable differences. Listening at that level for any amount of time would make it difficult to hear anything. My hearing is too important to do permanent damage to it. I suppose that's why you need 4000 watts. You find fault with an amp rated at 100 watts that actually delivered 500 watts. WHAT!!!
Forgot to login for above, ..and the sentence is mis worded, "why have a system that can sound REAL, LIVE if you ain't gonna make use of it? If you don't want it LIVE, stick to your BLOSE stuff. Or $500 boxes But make sure you use some magic wires, cus' that'll make a difference.
DUP, no need for you to worry about login...we all will recognize your posts! Same dang jibberish every time...DUH!
RG
I don't know, "11" seems do-able. "12" is out there.
"13" is just plain crazy talk. Next thing you know I'll be trying to fit 4200 next to the dial.
Chris
(trying to ignore the voices)
No, sir, 3dB is double the power (roughly). 10dB is 10 times the power (even more roughly). You cynicism overrides your ability to reason here, sir.
It's quite apparant that we listen to entirely different kinds of music. The jazz and blues concerts that I attend do not play music at 116db peaks. The classical concerts I attend certainly do not average 104db. Most good music has something called dynamic range. It's not all continuously loud. That kind of head banging stuff is for those who frequent "mosh" pits and need levels like that to get through the alcoholic haze. I have attended several of the concerts broadcast on World Music Cafe. They are nowhere near that loud. Until I got decent equipment and speakers I turned up the volume in an attempt to get the music to escape the boxes. Is that what you are doing?
You could get to 4200. Get a really big knob or write really small.