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#1
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tube watts not equal to transistor watts?
I keep seeing this statement like on this review: http://www.enjoythemusic.com/magazin.../0701/heil.htm (see the paragraph just below the 2nd picture of the speaker): "The manufacturer claims that the overall sensitivity of the Kithara is 94 dB/w/m, which means that it does not demand a lot to drive it. On the other hand, the manufacturer also says the required amplifier is 50 to 200 watts. I asked Vince about this, mentioning my 3o watt Audiomat Arpège, a tube amp. "No problem - that's what we suggest for transistor watts. Thirty tube watts are lots to drive this with," " What's this mean that "tube watts are not the same as transistor watts"? I thought that a watt was 1 volt*amp, so a watt would be objectively the same as any other watt? Is this kind of a odd ball pro-tube hype thing or is there a valid reason why a 30 watt tube amp is louder than a 30 watt transistor amp? Maybe it's about dynamic headroom.. Mark |
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#2
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tube watts not equal to transistor watts?
On Sat, 13 Sep 2003 19:03:53 -0400, Mark wrote:
I keep seeing this statement like on this review: http://www.enjoythemusic.com/magazin.../0701/heil.htm (see the paragraph just below the 2nd picture of the speaker): "The manufacturer claims that the overall sensitivity of the Kithara is 94 dB/w/m, which means that it does not demand a lot to drive it. On the other hand, the manufacturer also says the required amplifier is 50 to 200 watts. I asked Vince about this, mentioning my 3o watt Audiomat Arpège, a tube amp. "No problem - that's what we suggest for transistor watts. Thirty tube watts are lots to drive this with," " What's this mean that "tube watts are not the same as transistor watts"? I thought that a watt was 1 volt*amp, so a watt would be objectively the same as any other watt? Is this kind of a odd ball pro-tube hype thing or is there a valid reason why a 30 watt tube amp is louder than a 30 watt transistor amp? Maybe it's about dynamic headroom.. Mark Hello, They may be referring to the differences in the way solid-state and tube amplifiers overload (clip), or the fact that, because of the output transformers, a tube amplifier sees no difference between a 4 or 8 ohm load. But a watt is a measurement of power, whether produced by electrical, thermal, mechanical, or any other means, and a watt is a watt. |
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#3
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tube watts not equal to transistor watts?
Mark writes:
What's this mean that "tube watts are not the same as transistor watts"? I thought that a watt was 1 volt*amp, so a watt would be objectively the same as any other watt? Is this kind of a odd ball pro-tube hype thing or is there a valid reason why a 30 watt tube amp is louder than a 30 watt transistor amp? Maybe it's about dynamic headroom.. Yes it is....and apparent loudness. You are correct, mathematically and theoretically a Watt is a Watt is a Watt, but when you put this empircal unit in the context of a properly accepted rating of amplifier output power, things change. This by the way is an excellent case study in why specs only get you so far in comparing gear. I can endeavor some concepts to wrap your head around though. For one, tubes aren't terribly linear thingees. They won't look very impressive in the "Blah watts continuous from 20hz-20khz with no more than 0.1% total harmonic distortion" category...because they do tend to distort...transformer coupled outputs don't help, and all the goodies of tube electronics conspire against linearity too. But here's the thing--when they near saturation and start distorting they have a natural compression, and they tend to enter the neighborhood of distortion very very gracefully, and in a way that we humans tend to find warm and aurally appealing. Our ears as it turns out, aren't terribly obsessed with linearity. This is why the buck stops with a listening test when you are selecting any audio gear. Specs only get you so far, and can mislead. This whole tube vs solid state thing, incidentally, is why electric guitarists are almost unanimous in lauding the benefits of a tube power amplifier rather than solid state. A tube 30W guitar amp can cut through a band every bit as well as a 100W or more solid state amp, and what's more the distortion it creates is going to be a lot "better" sounding. Another distinction to be made is that the goal of an instrument amplifier and a sound reproduction amplifier are fundamentally different. In the former case, the amplifiers coloraiton becomes part of the "instrument's sound." In the latter case, the goal is really to reproduce the original recording as accurately as possible. Personally, I'd never endure the expense and maintainence headache of tube amplification for home audio reproduction, or pro sound reinforcement. Yeah, I may like the "warmer" sound of a well executed tube design marginally more, but that's not a step I'm willing to make because the incremental cost is so damned high, and I don't need the maintenance headaches of tube replacement. For bass guitar amplification, I also think tubes are overkill for power amps because bas guitar demands a lot of power, and tubes just aren't set up for reliably delivering a boatload of power in a package that my back ever wants to carry. If I were buying a guitar amp, however, yeah, I'd absolutely go tube. The frequencies a guitar produces don't require a lot of power to amplify, and tonal character is essential in guitar since it lives in that frequency range where ears are most sensitive and most picky. I'm sure there are others who can give you a lot more detailed explanation of the hows and why's of the (correct) perception that tube watts are meatier than solid state watts, but I hope what I've offered gives you some things to think about. Best Regards, -- /"\ ASCII Ribbon Campaign | Todd H \ / | http://www.toddh.net/ X Promoting good netiquette | http://triplethreatband.com/ / \ http://www.toddh.net/netiquette/ | "4 lines suffice." |
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