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Is your tube amp really a tube amp?

I use and love the older ARC D70Mk2 tube amp. To many people, this design is a true tube amp...however, ARC uses a LOT of transistors in the circuit. In the "day" a transistor was considered a ss device. Anyone know of a tube amp that uses NO transistors in the circuit...only tubes. I suspect that in my amp, the audio signal passes only through the tubes and not through the "ss" devices ( don't know this for sure)...Therefore, what is a TRUE tube amp...how many of us are actually using such a device ( no transistors or other ss devices whatsoever in the amp), vs. a hybrid...what's the definition of that term in regards to tube gear?
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jedinite24's avatar
jedinite24
1,503 posts
 
I used to think a tube amp must have gobs of tubes to be considered a tube amplifier. 2 tube rectifiers, 4 power tubes, 4 preamp tubes etc. Glass everywhere. I realize now that isn't the case.
rleff
1,065 posts
 
I don't think Ralph(Atma-Sphere) uses solid state anywhere in his amps.
czarivey
5,946 posts
 
there are many true tube amps, but are there ANY true tube CD-players with buncha toobz? i only saw ones with single tube per channel and the rest of circuit is semiconducters
wolf_garcia
6,696 posts
 
I have an early tube celphone that isn't very practical at all...burns my head and the tubes break in my pocket...just not worth the trouble, except my calls sound very warm.
zd542
5,339 posts
 
"03-24-15: Czarivey
there are many true tube amps, but are there ANY true tube CD-players with buncha toobz? i only saw ones with single tube per channel and the rest of circuit is semiconducters"

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