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Post by housetech on Jun 25, 2021 14:36:07 GMT -5
Cleaning out our library selves, I found my college vacuum tube theory, circuits & reference books, "I'll never need these" I thought They were passe' back then.
Take them to Half Price Books, maybe some "old guy" could use them. I don't know an anode from a cathode any more- long forgotten. lol
What was I thinking?! (Google is your friend?)
Since joint this forum, I realize "that sound" I've been missing were tubes.
I never played guitar, but some of the tube amps sounded great. We used them in a stereo system.
405x5- fond memories of the Phase Linear 400... but they didn't cook dinner like a Crown.
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DYohn
Emo VIPs 
Posts: 18,340
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Post by DYohn on Jun 25, 2021 14:48:36 GMT -5
Just for the record... in case anyone is confused... the Butler 5150 is a HYBRID amplifier... it has driver tubes... driving a solid state output stage. It looks like it's well built... and $3000 for 150 watts x 5 is not unreasonable.
Although I do find the idea of lighting tubes with blue LEDS to be annoying... tubes are supposed to glow orange... which they do all by themselves. It is interesting that they "bias the twin triode Tube Drivers to a consistent, near-saturated or overload condition" in order to get "greatly expanded dynamics, punch and presence from naturally produced vacuum tube harmonics". I give them credit for being honest that their design goal is to deliver "tube sound" - while avoiding the need for output transformers.
I would also suggest reading the old AES paper they reference - which provides excellent background information and perspective (https://butleraudio.com/tubesvstrans1.html). But do read it thoroughly and carefully - and note how they discuss differences in sound during normal operation and during overload conditions. (And remember that the paper was written at a time when most people owned relatively low-powered amplifiers that were often subjected to overload.) I’m not a tube fan, but that aside I found the 5150 to be the best put together multi channel tube amp. I’ve seen to date ( If you’re into such things). And the glass vented and protected inside the box where it belongs. Competitively priced with units of power in that range I agree, the blue LEDs seem like a bit of a gimmick. And yes, if you push the 5150 hard you can start to hear distortion creeping in as the drivers go non-linear. But at normal listening levels it is really good. |
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Post by 405x5 on Jun 25, 2021 19:05:45 GMT -5
“I never played guitar, but some of the tube amps sounded great. We used them in a stereo system.” Tube guitar 🎸 amplifiers are the way to go for many musicians to arrive at their signature sound that defines them. That is a much different thing from using them for pre recorded music….of course there are those who prefer the tube for both. |
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Post by leonski on Jun 27, 2021 15:38:29 GMT -5
One minor thing. Guitar amps don't typically drive Home-Type speakers.
It's only fair if you wanted to check out a guitar amp working into a speaker you'd use for daily listening....
I'd be curious, too.....
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