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Tube versus SS


Since I just installed some rather expensive NOS 6922 Telefunken tubes in my Phono-preamp, that yielded outstanding results, I decided to compare CD to Phono.

From the best of "Jacintha", CD, I selected "Danny Boy". Her voice emerged deep center stage from a jet black noise free back ground. It sounded more like what I expected from the analog.

That was followed by special LP's of Dinah Washington that had recently arrived. Those LP's were everything I expected with the NOS 6922 Telefunken Tubes in the Phono, but the surprise was the fact that I couldn't tell the two apart; both were outstanding.

What may surprise you, is the fact that I attribute these outstanding results from the COVID 19 "lock-down" which has given us the quietest "grid" ever in history. That means those of us with lesser means have the same AC power as the richest who can afford expensive AC power "clean uppers".

BTW, I have made extensive comparisons to recordings made before and after, the lock-down that confirm just how much of a difference it's made. I must admit that I had doubts about expensive power conditioners, but this confirms that fantastic results come from taming the wild AC.

It's my belief that we can not achieve better results than we have from the current "quiet grid", which means power conditioner or no power conditioner, we are all presently getting the same results.

Could it be that the dominant factor when comparing tube and SS when they both are of comparable quality is "The quality of the AC"?
   
orpheus10
orpheus10 OP
8,668 posts
 

Thank you Glissando for your very informative post.

When I turned on my rig and it sounded much better, although I hadn't done anything to bring this about, I put 2+2 together and came up with the answer; the quiet grid that resulted from the COVID 19 "Lock-down".

David, since you're good at finding answers to obscure questions, maybe you can find the answer to this question; I live in a quiet neighborhood, so I know it's not the neighbors affecting my AC, but industrial activity miles away; the question is, how far away can industrial activity affect your AC?



As I explained before, I down-load LP's to hard-drive, and listen to my "play-list" from the computer at my leisure. After I noticed the new recordings sounded better than the old, that confirmed a number of things; not only was the computer functioning better, but everything else as well; power supply for phono-pre plus everything else that has a power supply.

There are millions of people who are benefiting from this "lock-down" and don't even know it. Now that many are going back to normal, that might be past tense; it came and went, and they didn't even know it. I on the other hand, have it recorded on my "external hard-drive", which means that if the computer turns to junk, I have it all in a little box that I can take with me
wsrrsw's avatar
wsrrsw
1,100 posts
 
@mikelavigne

Thanks for you answer. If I read you right, then it matters getting the big dawg Equi=tech as it does a better job than say a Niagara 7000? The Equi=tech is/does the same thing as a 7000 only a lot more of it?

If only Garth Powell would suddenly appear and render his thoughts?

With apologies to OP for the deviation. I love tubes but good/great high end is a matter of preference. The other day I heard a Peachtree integrated into some Totem speakers and it was lovely. Room was good.

orpheus10 OP
8,668 posts
 
Mikelavigne, that is so true.  My first love was a  Phase Linear 4000, it did everything; you could alter the music so many ways, and not stop until everything sounded exactly like you wanted it to sound.

"Equalizers" were the rage back then.  I went to a high end store and non of the equipment even had tone controls; "What is this, no tone controls?".  That's when I came to the realization that what I really wanted to hear was whatever the artist presented; no more, no less.

If you prefer to "sculpture" the audio to your specifications, that's fine, that's what I used to do.
orpheus10 OP
8,668 posts
 

There are so many different things that sound "good'. It's not until you make the decision to want to hear only what the artist presented that you will be on the path to "Nirvana". This is a very narrow and difficult path to follow.
cakyol's avatar
cakyol
940 posts
 
All amplifiers work with DC. AC is converted to DC inside all amplifiers thru transformers, rectifiers, hi freq filters and smoothing capacitors. Lower wattage power amps may also use regulators. Because of this, the quality of the mains AC has virtually NO effect on the sound (the DC) if the amplifier is properly grounded and there are no ground loops.

ALL the necessary design to make the DC as smooth as possible are ALL included in the amp itself. Noise reduction, CMMR, smoothing, ripple reduction and transient current capability are ALL included in the power supply of the amp itself.

Where you need a good quality clean AC is if you are using AC motors, like synchronous and induction.  These may be driving your turntable and their rotational stability is directly affected by the quality of the AC.  Even then, most turntables these days internally synthesize their own AC thru precision electronics if they are using an AC motor.

Therefore, power conditioners are therefore a complete waste of money for amplifiers. The only (maybe) possible use they have is for safety against over voltage spikes (lightning ?).  

The reason that most people "feel" that tubes sound "better" is most likely due to the 2nd order harmonic distortion that tubes inherently introduce. Essentially they are listening to distorted music. It is an irony that audiophiles claim they want to listen to the exact reproduction of the sound (which the SS gives you) but then again they prefer the tube sound (distorted).

For any device costing over a few thousand bucks, the sound preference is more of a personal choice rather than "quality" of the amplifier.


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