2. amps-preamps
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Tubes/SS Power Amps?


I've only heard, auditioned, listened to top of the line tube amps; consequently, I don't know squat about top of the line SS power amps. My problem is "heat". If the SS gets hot, I might as well have tubes.

Reviews that I've read on top of the line SS amps, always mention the heat. Rather than have a SS furnace in my listening room, I'll go with tubes. By the way, I don't think there's much difference between tubes and SS amps when you have a tube pre; especially top of the line. I'm searching for an amp in the vicinity of 100 watts per channel with balanced inputs, preferably mono blocks. Cool running SS is what I'm looking for. Can you help?
orpheus10

Showing 6 responses by phaelon

phaelon
1,038 posts
 
Tim, what can I say... you’re a visionary!
phaelon
1,038 posts
 
Hell! How about mini lava lamps? I’m getting pumped!
phaelon
1,038 posts
 
Tim, maybe Ralph will give us a black light bulbs option... for when we’re feeling a little Iron Butterfly.
phaelon
1,038 posts
 
I agree with those above who think that, even with a tubed preamp, a tubed power amp makes a necessary contribution. That said, we don’t all hear, process and evaluate music the same. If the differences between SS and tubes aren’t discernible to you (which is fine - it doesn’t mean that you can’t hear, it just means that you don’t care) then by all means, unless you’re seeking a substitute for logs burning in a fireplace, buy SS. Get a relatively efficient A/AB design; but even then, your speaker’s demand for power will be a big factor, so choose an amplifier that easily provides for those demands.
phaelon
1,038 posts
 
Orpheeus10, You mentioned the system by which stereophile rates and then puts amplifiers into classes. Just for clarity, these were the amplifier classifications I was talking about.

Conduction angle classes
Class A
100% of the input signal is used (conduction angle Θ = 360°. The active element remains conducting[6] all of the time.
Class B
50% of the input signal is used (Θ = 180°); the active element carries current half of each cycle, and is turned off for the other half.
Class AB
Class AB is intermediate between class A and B, the two active elements conduct more than half of the time
Class C
Less than 50% of the input signal is used (conduction angle Θ < 180°).
A "Class D" amplifier uses some form of pulse-width modulation to control the output devices; the conduction angle of each device is no longer related directly to the input signal but instead varies in pulse width. These are sometimes called "digital" amplifiers because the output device is switched fully on or off, and not carrying current proportional to the signal amplitude.

The above is sourced from Wikipedia.
phaelon
1,038 posts
 
"a Class D hifi amp would have to have blue VU meters and an Art Deco case for me to warm up to it,”

...and maybe a couple of very low wattage lightbulbs protruding from the top :-)
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