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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