The on off switch.
What contributes most to a change in how an amplifier sounds?
Amplifiers include tubes (if not solid state), big transformers, lots of internal wiring, Power supply, cabinet, gain controls if you're lucky, connections for incoming and outgoing cables, Computer chips, Control panels, semiconductor boards, design choices, age, etc.
Of all this stuff, what contributes the most to a change in how an amplifier sounds?
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Just like an entire audio system, an amplifier is a chain of circuits and parts that’s only as good as it’s weakest link. At some level, everything matters, but many folks feel that it all starts with the power supply. In the case of tube amps, I can't help but think the quality of the output transformers is pretty important. My amps started as Dynaco 70s, then got a boost in the power supply that helped. Later on they got modified with the VTA circuit boards that address the power supply and audio circuit even further, better caps, etc....a;; very audible improvement with the same output tubes and transformers. Later I changed the output and driver tubes, then upgraded the rectification to SS. All made audible changes that I felt were upgrades. When I finally bi-amped the system in a horizontal configuration, the Dyna/VTA amps went from seeing a 4 ohm load to an 8 ohm load where the tube amps only drive the midbass and tweeters, and that made another very audible improvement. All of these changes contribute to what I’m hearing now, but I can’t say that any one of them was more important than the others. They all add up, and they all matter. FWIW, I’ve always preferred them in triode. |
The transformer is the beginning to great sound. It has to handle the requirements of a recording. If you think about it, why do different amplification from the same manufacturer sound different or handle music differently? Quick Silver just stopped making one of their amplifiers because they could not source the transformers any longer. We used to use Plitron transformers but they now require a minimum order of 100 pieces. Designs are not new so depending on what you are looking for, a design is important to the sound and cost. Power supply is the key to great sound. That needs to filter AC noise, handle dynamic swings, etc. Then capacitors and resistors have an impact. Tubes vs. SS is personal preference. Happy Listening. |
@bigkidz , I remember a conversation I had with John Barnes (may he rest in peace) of Audio Unlimited quite a while back. He was talking about a couple of tube amps and I forget how he exactly worded it, but it was to the effect of when when comparing amps and you separate the wheat from the chaff it is the transformer that makes the difference. |
Everyone forgets the power supply. It isn't as sophisticated as the amplifier circuit itself but it's actually the direct electrical connection to the speakers whose impedance interacts with the amplifier to great affect. The thing we think of as the amplifier is basically a valve that opens and closes the power supply supposedly as an analog of the input signal. So the better the amplifier does that the closer the output is to the input albeit larger. But that assumes the power supply is robust and pure. If it isn't even if the amp is accurate it's varying a changing source of current and the result is loss of fidelity. It turns out many circuits are pretty good but power supplies are expensive and you can cheat with little or no change in the classic measured specs. The only thing that changes with a so so power supply is the sound. Power supply is a major factor why costly amps sound so good. There's money to make pretty good power supplies. But I suspect even 6 figure amps can be improved with even better power supplies. |
In a single-ended, no-feedback tube amplifier, it largely comes down to the output transformer. Nothing else can make up for a poor OPT. In a push-pull amp there's a bit more leeway because the OPT doesn't have to handle a large amount of standing current due to the cancellation. Add global feedback and you can turn a pig's ear into a decent silk purse, as the saying goes. But any tube amp is still going to benefit from quality iron. As others have said, the power supply, the circuit design and other components can all make a difference. Oh, and the power supply time three, as perkri says. ;-) |