Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 (Denver Mods 4/2/84) 6/24/83; site drutx.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxl!houxm!hogpc!houxe!drutx!pmr From: pmr@drutx.UUCP Newsgroups: net.audio Subject: Re: Tubes and solid state Message-ID: <515@drutx.UUCP> Date: Fri, 22-Jun-84 12:46:07 EDT Article-I.D.: drutx.515 Posted: Fri Jun 22 12:46:07 1984 Date-Received: Sat, 23-Jun-84 03:48:50 EDT References: <494@drutx.UUCP> <2887@rabbit.UUCP> Organization: AT&T Information Systems Laboratories, Denver Lines: 36 Some people have mailed messages to me stating that I should prove my assertion that tubes extract more low-level signal information than transistors. Since I accidentally deleted these messages and I'm not able to quote them exactly, I'll paraphrase their one line defenses: "I don't believe they do." In reply to these overwhelmingly technical defenses, I assert that they're wrong. I base my claims on my own and others subjectivity. For example, when solid state (SS) amps first hit the market they quickly made their way into the professional arena. I remember many musicians loudly complaining that they couldn't handle the way the SS stuff sounded. Being a young technical type and a firm proponent of SS technology, I justified my opinion of SS as a "more analytical and revealing technology" and didn't seriously consider their observations. (Sound familiar?) Today, I hear the same differences that these musicians did over 25 years ago because I now listen to the equipment instead of taking theory and specs at face value. I'm serious about trying to determine why tubes do this, despite the crass remarks that abound on the net. Exactly why does a $300 Conrad Johnson tube preamp kit sound better than a $300 Hafler preamp kit? The Hafler has the spec advantage (0.01% THD, IM, FM, AC, PhD, MOS, BS), but the Hafler sounds flat, dry, unrevealing, and uninterresting. The CJ, despite its noisy front end, sounds open, warm, and accurate. What specs handle the description of these differences that I and others hear? (At least AUDIO is making attempts at finding these specs.) I understand that Spectral Acoustics is making great progress in closing the gap between the tube and transistor sound differences. What does Spectral do that Pioneer, McIntosh, and Levinson don't? Serious comments are welcomed. Please flame /dev/null. Yours for higher fidelity, Phil Rastocny AT&T-ISL ..!drutx!pmr