does more power=better quality ?

"there are fewer output devices to muck up the signal" is it kind of like thecar analogy.for the uninitiated ,non engineer . can you use the analogy of a car.just because you put V8 engine, the car may accelerate better but it doesn't always handle better. some peoplle may preferred a mini cooper vs a corvett because they feel the mini handle's better.

Hey Raquel, I am shaking my head now too after selling my Krell 750 monos, KCT and Wilson MAXX for the VAC PHI Preamp, VAC PHI 220 Mono's and a little pair of Caravelle Monitors supported by a Velodyne DD-15 inch sub! I have never had a more dynamic, musically satisfying system in my life with the most unbelievable depth of soundstage I have heard in any system anywhere. More money and more power doesn't always mean more satisfaction. I learned the expensive way!

The problem with all the comparisons to 8 watt SETs...
is that "all else is not equal".

Philefread,

Your 8 watt SET amp IS "loafing".

That 300B tube is capable of more than just 8 watts.

That tube can be used in amps putting out on the order
of 40 to 50 watts. For example, Cary uses it in a
15 watt SET power amp:

http://www.caryaudio.com/products/audio/cad300se.shtml

Therefore, in the context of my discussion on linearity -
the tube is not being taxed at all.

Your 300B SET amp is not limited by the 300B tube - it is
limited by the power supply.

The designer / manufacturer of your amp put in a low power
power supply - so you can't push the tube to anywhere near
its capability.

The manufacturer forced the tube into "loafing" by pairing
it with a relatively "anemic" power supply.

Your speakers may be relatively flat - but they don't have
an absolutely flat 8 ohm impedance. Do your speakers have
voice coils? Voice coils are inductors - and the impedance
of an inductor is not flat - it varies with frequency.

Dr. Gregory Greenman
Physicist

Raquel,

The problem with your argument is that in amps in which
there are more than a single output device; the output
devices are in parallel.

No - the signal is not going through more circuitry - all
the electrons see the same amount of circuitry. It's just
that all electrons don't see the same components.

If you have a tube amp with 2 paralleled 300B tubes; all the
electrons saw a single 300B output tube - just not the
same one - 50% saw one tube, 50% saw the other.

The comparison at Singer is worthless. A VERY BIG factor
is the size of the room. One was smaller, one was larger.
The rooms therefore had different resonant frequencies -
and Lord only knows how that affected the sound.

You can't conclude anything even remotely meaningful from
two different rooms, with two different speakers, with
two different amps...

Dr. Gregory Greenman
Physicist

pbb I will be up there in three weeks, do you want to get together?