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Triode or Ultralinear

I have a Primaluna integrated amp that can be switched to either mode. When I first got the amp I thought Triode was the only way to go. It sounded a lot different than my SS Mac amp which I thought was the tube sound everyone was after. To be honest I really liked the sound. After a year now I recently tried to listen to the amp in Ultralinear to compare. It took a week or so but now I think the ultralinear in better. It sounds a lot less "tubeish" i guess, but the sound is much more full (which was one of my problems). What are peoples opinion on this? Is this just a case of liking something different?
csmithbarc
tvad
9,467 posts
 
Is this just a case of liking something different?
Csmithbarc (System | Threads | Answers)
Bingo.

Both have their strengths and weaknesses, and neither is perfect, which is why there is always a debate about which is best.
atmasphere's avatar
atmasphere
7,068 posts
 
Well, Tvad is right as long as this is occurring inside one amp- like if you have a switch to go back and forth. But- if you compare real triodes to pentodes **wired** as triodes, you will hear a substantial difference.

Ultralinear is a way to approach triode linearity with a pentode, without loosing a lot of power. It is a compromise. So is wiring a pentode in triode mode. If you really want to hear what a *real* triode **actually** does, you will have to get a real triode amp to do that. The difference will not just be 'something different' (all other things being equal), it will be a real improvement.
tvad
9,467 posts
 
Yes. Switching between triode and pentode in the same amp is what I was discussing, because this is the type of amp the OP owns.
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