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Tube versus SS


Since I just installed some rather expensive NOS 6922 Telefunken tubes in my Phono-preamp, that yielded outstanding results, I decided to compare CD to Phono.

From the best of "Jacintha", CD, I selected "Danny Boy". Her voice emerged deep center stage from a jet black noise free back ground. It sounded more like what I expected from the analog.

That was followed by special LP's of Dinah Washington that had recently arrived. Those LP's were everything I expected with the NOS 6922 Telefunken Tubes in the Phono, but the surprise was the fact that I couldn't tell the two apart; both were outstanding.

What may surprise you, is the fact that I attribute these outstanding results from the COVID 19 "lock-down" which has given us the quietest "grid" ever in history. That means those of us with lesser means have the same AC power as the richest who can afford expensive AC power "clean uppers".

BTW, I have made extensive comparisons to recordings made before and after, the lock-down that confirm just how much of a difference it's made. I must admit that I had doubts about expensive power conditioners, but this confirms that fantastic results come from taming the wild AC.

It's my belief that we can not achieve better results than we have from the current "quiet grid", which means power conditioner or no power conditioner, we are all presently getting the same results.

Could it be that the dominant factor when comparing tube and SS when they both are of comparable quality is "The quality of the AC"?
   
orpheus10

Showing 2 responses by noromance

noromance's avatar
noromance
9,501 posts
 
What may surprise you, is the fact that I attribute these outstanding results from the COVID 19 "lock-down" which has given us the quietest "grid" ever in history.
It’s not surprising that you attribute an improvement to something but it hardly makes it a fact. How do you know the grid is the quietest in history? Could it be in fact worse as everyone is inside all day?

That means those of us with lesser means have the same AC power as the richest who can afford expensive AC power "clean uppers".

This is not true. Instead of saying "the richest," assume those who are willing to spend more. A ’cleaner grid’ is not the same as redenerated AC. You cannot assume everyone is getting a quieter grid.

Could it be that the dominant factor when comparing tube and SS when they both are of comparable quality is "The quality of the AC"?

Clean AC is critical. All things being equal on the power end, it’s still likely that differences in the design and implementation of either topology is more responsible than the quality of the AC.
noromance's avatar
noromance
9,501 posts
 
This occurred with absolutely no change in anything else.
You are begging the question. You're assuming your conclusion from the posited variables in the hypothesis. Maybe the recordings are the same but you are getting more rest. Maybe the recordings are the same but an unknown variable is at play. Maybe they are different because the AC voltage was higher then. The point is that you are trying to make some sort of theory without enough evidence. 
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