Sonic atributes ultralinear vs tetrode vs pentode


What are the sonic attributes of and amp running in Ultralinear vs tetrode vs Pentode. Looking to get a new amp, but live in a rural area can't audition them all. I don't like what I have heard from Ultralinear amps, too hard sounding for me. A lot of new pentode amps on the market, can't audition any. Why pick one over the other?
Thanks
Mike
128x128brm1

Showing 4 responses by brm1

I know what triode mode is, its a pentode or beam tetrode "strapped" in triode. There are a lot of amps that use pentodes or beam tetrodes that operate in different modes. I know what an amp "strapped in triode sounds like and Ultralinear, I have an amp that functions in tetrode mode only. Maybe I just should have asked about a amp that operates in Pentode, but I thought a comparison would be more helpful and easier to put into words.
Thanks
Mike
Atmasphere, I really appreciate someone with your knowledge and experience answering the thread. However, the sound characteristics of Ultra-linear you describe, I unfortunately have never heard. The sound always seems compressed and hard, smaller sound stage and just not very appealling when compared to the triode mode that most amps offer in tandem with the ultra-linear mode. Thanks
Ok lets try again...what are the sonic characteristics of the the different modes of operation?
Thanks
Mike
Trelja,
Thanks for the responses'. Never having opportunity to hear a Pentode amp I feared that might be how it would sound. Definitely not what I am looking for. Honestly I have heard a Eastern Electric 520 amp that does Pentode/UL. I did not like that amp in Pentode, so I listened to it mostly in UL which did not sound like UL in other amps that I have heard, so I did not really want to take that experience as "true to like". Jolida,Cary, and other amps of that ilk did not sound like that in UL, they sounded "Hard"
Thanks
Mike