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Tube Amp. Power ratings

I'm a solid state guy intrigued with tube setups....Is this like everything else in Audiophilia, Eye (or ear) of the beholder? ....Would you always have a tube pre-amp with tube amp? In general terms how do tube amps differ? Warmer?...mellower....And what about the output ratings? The tube ratings seem much lower than SS...Is that the nature of the beast?....
kippster
pawlowski6132's avatar
pawlowski6132
592 posts
 
What is it about tube equipment that intrigues you?
porziob
316 posts
 
The pwr. of tube amps decreases rapidly once the spkr. impedence deviates from the output tap being used. Beaware of the heat in summer unless you live in the polar regions. Bear in mind that matched prs. of output tubes can be pricey w/ some amps needing retubing after 2000 hrs.
audiofeil
4,011 posts
 
>>The pwr. of tube amps decreases rapidly once the spkr. impedence deviates from the output tap being used<<

Not true. In the case of a 12 ohm load connected to an OTL amp, for example, the output power actually increases.

Conversely, the power output of a solid state amp decreases as the impedance increases.

The door swings both ways.
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