2. amps-preamps
  3. 1331571367

What determines good distortion?

I have a friend using an Audio Research CA 50 integrated amp with 45 watts/channel into Vandersteen 2ce sig II. I use a 50 watt YBA integrated into the same speakers. We both listen at sane levels in small rooms 8 x 12. He thinks that it's better to use a 50 watt tube amp rather than a 50 watt SS amp because tubes when they distort sound more pleasant. I'm thinking that if you drive the amp into clipping it's bad with either a SS or tube amp because clipping distortion is bad whether or not you can tolerate it. Am I wrong?
128x128digepix
Post removed 
eldartford
4,262 posts
 
Some solid state amps have clip protection. Such amps produce a waveform smoothly limited in the same way as a tube amp. Also, mine is good for 600 watts, so I don't think I need to worry.
jmcgrogan2's avatar
jmcgrogan2
6,346 posts
 
What I've always heard is that SS produces odd order harmonic distortions (3rd,5th, etc) while tubes produce even order distortions (2nd, 4th, etc). I've also heard that musical instruments produce even order harmonic distortions, which is why most folks find tube equipment more "musical" or "natural", because it's distortions are more similar to that heard from a musical instrument.
lewhite
156 posts
 
J, I think you are mistaking tube for single ended and ss for ultralinear. An old Pass Aleph does not distroy even order harmonics like an old ARC push pull.
More to discover