Nice post, Zaikesman!
Over the Christmas holidays, I spent A LOT of time listening to my Granite mono amplifiers, with my Coincident speakers. One thing I did focus on were the differences in triode versus pentode sound. A lot of the conclusions I came up with may fly in the face of what is the conventional wisdom, but nevertheless here I go...
Pentode DOES produce more power. If you are after watts, or have speakers that need the extra ooomph, pentode is truly for you. You'll get more volume. NO question.
However, as is often pointed out, doubling power does not produce as much distance in terms of volume as most would think. Switching down to triode, I needed to push the level controls up about 15% to get the same volume at my listening chair. However, for that very small price to pay, EVERYTHING improved sonically. At least, to my tastes.
Strangely enough, the bass response was much more to my liking. Triode injected into the midbass that extra muscle (not plumpness or lack of control) that many feel is THE area that determines whether the sound is warm or cold. The richness was incredible. It was the blood and guts that made music more real.
Dynamics were slamming. This was incredibly surprising to me. Although the volume measured the same, subjectively, listeners swore it was a good bit louder.
Midrange and treble were of course where most would expect triode to walk away from pentode, and there were no surprises there. Soundstaging, and that "sparkle" that I have spoken of in the past are present in triode in spades. It's that beautiful, sweet tone that makes music so wonderful.
Everyone can obviously do as they please, but for me, I'll be listening in triode.
Over the Christmas holidays, I spent A LOT of time listening to my Granite mono amplifiers, with my Coincident speakers. One thing I did focus on were the differences in triode versus pentode sound. A lot of the conclusions I came up with may fly in the face of what is the conventional wisdom, but nevertheless here I go...
Pentode DOES produce more power. If you are after watts, or have speakers that need the extra ooomph, pentode is truly for you. You'll get more volume. NO question.
However, as is often pointed out, doubling power does not produce as much distance in terms of volume as most would think. Switching down to triode, I needed to push the level controls up about 15% to get the same volume at my listening chair. However, for that very small price to pay, EVERYTHING improved sonically. At least, to my tastes.
Strangely enough, the bass response was much more to my liking. Triode injected into the midbass that extra muscle (not plumpness or lack of control) that many feel is THE area that determines whether the sound is warm or cold. The richness was incredible. It was the blood and guts that made music more real.
Dynamics were slamming. This was incredibly surprising to me. Although the volume measured the same, subjectively, listeners swore it was a good bit louder.
Midrange and treble were of course where most would expect triode to walk away from pentode, and there were no surprises there. Soundstaging, and that "sparkle" that I have spoken of in the past are present in triode in spades. It's that beautiful, sweet tone that makes music so wonderful.
Everyone can obviously do as they please, but for me, I'll be listening in triode.
