Class of operation for Tube Power Amps


My understanding is tube amplifiers can be ran in Class A or Class A/B operation just like Solid State amps. MANY tube amps do not say what class they are running. If they don't say this in the specifications do you just assume the are Class A/B. How can you tell?

willywonka

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If a mono tube amp has just one tube or a stereo tube amp has just 2 tubes it isn't likely to be class a, it is absolutely class A. There is no other choice due to single ended circuit topology.

Other wise it's not absolute but the odds are any push/pull amp(two or more tubes per channel) is class AB. In fact any push pull amp solid state or tube is unlikely to be class A at very high powers although it may be what's called rich class AB meaning it stays class A to a power high enough it almost never goes out of class A into class B.