[Ian Iveson]

What's good about valve amplifiers then?

Has RAT shot itself in both feet?

Ian.

[Peter Wieck]

On Mar 27, 7:17 pm, "Ian Iveson"
wrote:
What's good about valve amplifiers then?

Has RAT shot itself in both feet?

Ian.

Um... with respect.... Um....

Some of them sound quite mellifluous. Some of them even sound good.
Some very few sound both mellifluous and good. As a class, a very-well
executed tube amplifier has a better chance of sounding both
mellifluous and good than a moderately or poorly executed SS
amplifier. I doubt one could tell the difference under normal
conditions between two very well-executed designs of either. Notice
that I am not stating "expensive" or "complicated" or even
"complex" (althought all three may apply). Simplicity has virtue in
both tube and SS designs.

They can also be expensive, exotic, funny looking and give all sorts
of bragging rights (when they actually work, of course). Few SS
designs achieve the same 'wow' factor so easily. It is my considered
opinion that many (if not most) tube users do so because they are
using tubes, not because they care one actual whit for the sound they
produce.

Peter Wieck
Wyncote, PA

[Patrick Turner]

Ian Iveson wrote:

What's good about valve amplifiers then?

Has RAT shot itself in both feet?

Ian.

No, your'e the only one here who can see through both his feet.

Could someone lend this man wheel chair please, his shot damaged feet
are
really bad.

Patrick Turner.

[coffeedj]

For one thing you can fix them yourself, and you don't have to throw away a
perfectly good pc board with only one bad IC to do it. Growing up as an
early boomer made me nervouse about chucking anything that is still
semi-usable.

Secondly, they look cool and can sound great. Also make a great
conversation starter at parties.

Thirdly, you can get all the parts you need at estates sales with a little
luck and time. This is very much an added bonus when the wife is shopping
for baby clothes for the grandkids.

What more could anyone want?

"Ian Iveson" wrote in message
. uk...
What's good about valve amplifiers then?

Has RAT shot itself in both feet?

Ian.

[Engineer]

On Mar 28, 12:43 am, "coffeedj" wrote:
For one thing you can fix them yourself, and you don't have to throw away a
perfectly good pc board with only one bad IC to do it. Growing up as an
early boomer made me nervouse about chucking anything that is still
semi-usable.

Secondly, they look cool and can sound great. Also make a great
conversation starter at parties.

Thirdly, you can get all the parts you need at estates sales with a little
luck and time. This is very much an added bonus when the wife is shopping
for baby clothes for the grandkids.

What more could anyone want?

(snip)

Can't add much to that except the warm friendly glow of the heaters
(except for those metal tubes!)
As a youngster in the UK I use to listen to Radio Luxembourg at night
on 208 meters using one and two "valve" TRF homebrews (headphones,
long wire "aerial" down the garden.) In my mind's eye I can still
those fat 4 volt tubes glowing in a darkened room... and its
predecessor, a one acorn "valve" set... Oh, and a 2 volt tube set (RF
stage (forgotten the type), HL2 detector and PM22A o/p) but, IIRC,
they did not glow very brightly.
Cheers,
Roger

[Ross Matheson]

flipper in
rec.audio.tubespetm031s1tud3ipmm10aji1uoing15t38k @4ax.com:

On Wed, 28 Mar 2007 00:17:21 GMT, "Ian Iveson"
wrote:

What's good about valve amplifiers then?

They glow in the dark.

You can build them yourself.

You might design the exterior and interior;-

You have the possibility of learning to appreciate the designs of others, and
maybe even learning to design, test, improve, oneself ...

There are others doing the same things ... communications may happen.

The same could be said of other technologies ...


Has RAT shot itself in both feet?

Ian.


There's blanks ... and there's tracer ...
--

[Ian Iveson]

You can build them yourself.

You might design the exterior and interior;-

You have the possibility of learning to appreciate the designs of
others, and
maybe even learning to design, test, improve, oneself ...

There are others doing the same things ... communications may
happen.

The same could be said of other technologies ...

I was hoping for a more musical insight.

But yes, there is something to be said for any activity that allows an
individual the opportunity to make something from scratch. Most
technologies now are geared to social production, and occasional
escape from the consequent alienation is welcome.

There's blanks ... and there's tracer ...

Inventing complexity within, and harping on reductionist performance
criteria, erode the foundations of our little island I think.

cheers, Ian