I hate to say it, but now I think maybe I like my amp in ultralinear mode versus triode

atmasphere said: That’s a bit different from saying that it will ’work’; sure it will play but the output transformer should be optimized for a particular tube.

This is almost certainly the most salient content that this thread will produce. You want to hear great UL sound reproduction? Build an amp that uses KT77 output tubes...the only tube ever produced explicitly to run in UL mode, and specifically at a 43% winding tap and, of course, use output transformers...yep, with a 43% winding tap! As an aside, because the KT77 can handle big current, as long as you specify driver and splitter tubes that can handle big current (like 6BL& or 6BX7) and you use big inductors (on both input and output) to smooth that big current, you can do away with significant capacitance...this yields a very powerful, very dynamic, very fast and very linear, no, make that ultra linear amplifier!

Hate to break it to the assembled, but an amp that can run multiple tube types is not optimized for any of those tubes, neither is an amp that can run multiple topologies optimized for any of those topologies; IMO, an amp that does both represents the antithesis of high fidelity. I avoid them.

That's not what I said viridian.  What I said is that there are two rational conclusions that can be drawn from the information provided, and that for ghdprentice's sake, I hope it's one conclusion instead of the other that he is experiencing.  If you think there are other rational, not irrational conclusions, that can be drawn, then please, tell us what those are. 

No back pedal. I’ve told the forum what I said; please tell tell us what you think I said.

@ghdprentice: I, and presumably atmasphere, and all other rational thinkers, would rationally conclude that your amps are optimized for triode topology...and, necessarily, that the ultralinear topology was added, presumably as a gimmick, to presumably, attract more purchasers. Let’s hope so anyway, as the other option is that the amps are not optimized for either topology and that you and the other folks just like the same not optimized topology over the other not optimized topology.

In audio reproduction, linear is sexy.  Ultra linear is ultra sexy.

FWIW, Gary Dodd, shortly before he died in 2015, was contracted by a very rich person who heard his "Blue Monster" amps:

to build the "best sounding amplifier possible; even better than the Blue Monsters."  What he came up with was monoblocks with 4 KT77 output tubes run in OPTIMIZED ultralinear mode with 2 6BL7 input tubes; custom would massive power supply and output trannies, huge inductors on both input and output stages, 700 volts on the plates and Dueland CAST coupling caps.  He died before finishing the amps.  6 years later, his great friend and talented tube audio builder, Charlie Cocci, completed the two amps.  Charlie, who has been building tube amps for at least 50 years, stated "These are not only the best soundfing amps I've ever built, they're the best sounding amps I've ever heard...and I've heard a lot of amps!"

FWIW.

Those amps are in my living room.  The Dodd Audio Balanced Power Supply that is shown in the 2nd photo powering the Blue Monsters now powers the amps in my living room.

I'm a very lucky person.  Confirmation bias confession?  I don't think so, I think I just agree with Charlie.

FWIW.

Shudder is right.  Thank you for your excellent contributions dogeared.