Not the best solid state book


It's become a national obsession, for some reason, to read-or flip
through-this book and either praise it to high heaven or declare it
better printed on soft, absorbent paper so that it would have some
utility in the world. I'm not going to do either one, because it's
neither terribly good nor terribly evil.

If you want to cobble up some relatively inexpensive utility grade
audio amplifiers at a somewhat lower cost than buying them-trading off
your time, any warranty, resale, et al-which, it seems to me, is your
right, this book provides schematics, PCB layouts, and enough
commentary to get you going. Is that so rotten?

However, it doesn't connect the theory and practice very well. And it
does contain a lot of opinion that is biased to some degree (isn't
opinion always?) and marginally incorrect statements seemingly
calculated to irritate the high end crowd. (Pro recording studios do
use a lot of tube equipment, and not for coloration: almost all opera
recordings are done on Neumann tube mics, for example.)

I would pick any of Doug Self's books or several others over this one
if building these specific amps were not your primary goal. It's a
hobby project book, period.

And, as a matter of interest, transistors-bipolar or FET-are not "more
neutral" or "accurate" or linear than vacuum tubes. They are
(relatively) low impedance devices and they come in N and P flavors,
which means no output transformer is needed and therefore more, much
more, negative feedback can be used to improve bandwidth and THD
measurements. Alas, NFB is a tradeoff and more is not necessarily
better-which is what the real pros started figuring out in 1972 (yes,
the storied Russ Hamm!) and the 'subjective' backlash started. So,
Slone is really being a little disingenuous,and he knows it...but then
again, so are the high end tube vendors, because most of them are
selling a sizzle that's out of proportion to the steak, and one that's
often crudely built beneath the pretty machined front panel at that.
Two wrongs don't make a right, but our entire system of commerce is
built on the proposition that three lefts do.
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Paul wrote:

almost all opera recordings are done on Neumann tube mics, for example

Where did you get that bizarre idea ?


Graham

"Pooh Bear" wrote in message


Paul wrote:

almost all opera recordings are done on Neumann tube mics, for
example

Where did you get that bizarre idea ?

He read it on RAO?

LOL!

"Paul" wrote in message
ups.com...
Not the best solid state book

**I'll take you word for it, as I haven't read it. Or, maybe I won't take
you word for it. See below.



It's become a national obsession, for some reason, to read-or flip
through-this book and either praise it to high heaven or declare it
better printed on soft, absorbent paper so that it would have some
utility in the world. I'm not going to do either one, because it's
neither terribly good nor terribly evil.

If you want to cobble up some relatively inexpensive utility grade
audio amplifiers at a somewhat lower cost than buying them-trading off
your time, any warranty, resale, et al-which, it seems to me, is your
right, this book provides schematics, PCB layouts, and enough
commentary to get you going. Is that so rotten?

However, it doesn't connect the theory and practice very well. And it
does contain a lot of opinion that is biased to some degree (isn't
opinion always?) and marginally incorrect statements seemingly
calculated to irritate the high end crowd. (Pro recording studios do
use a lot of tube equipment, and not for coloration: almost all opera
recordings are done on Neumann tube mics, for example.)

I would pick any of Doug Self's books or several others over this one
if building these specific amps were not your primary goal. It's a
hobby project book, period.

And, as a matter of interest, transistors-bipolar or FET-are not "more
neutral" or "accurate" or linear than vacuum tubes.

**Actually, some are. Modern BJTs are far more linear than Pentodes, for
instance and a little more linear than Triodes. Look at the spec sheets for
2SC5200 and 2SA1943.

They are
(relatively) low impedance devices and they come in N and P flavors,
which means no output transformer is needed and therefore more,

**Huh? The P and N flavours have nothing to do with the absence of output
transformers. The low output impedance does affect this ability, of course.

much
more, negative feedback can be used to improve bandwidth and THD
measurements. Alas, NFB is a tradeoff and more is not necessarily
better-which is what the real pros started figuring out in 1972 (yes,
the storied Russ Hamm!) and the 'subjective' backlash started.

**Let's get real he ALL amplifiers use NFB. Even those so-called Zero NFB
Triode amps. Triodes are linear, BECAUSE they have internal NFB. What makes
a good amplifier is the sensible application of NFB.

So,
Slone is really being a little disingenuous,and he knows it...but then
again, so are the high end tube vendors, because most of them are
selling a sizzle that's out of proportion to the steak, and one that's
often crudely built beneath the pretty machined front panel at that.
Two wrongs don't make a right, but our entire system of commerce is
built on the proposition that three lefts do.
Was this review helpful to you?

**Nope. All it did was expose your particular bias, based on ignorance.


--
Trevor Wilson
www.rageaudio.com.au