What do you see as the downside of tubes?

No need to apologize Mr E- There are also companies that manufacture outboard effects pedals, and guitar amps with options, that attempt to digitally simulate the sound of tubed gear. The vast majority of us still opt for tubed amps though. Nothing sounds quite the same, after years of the real thing. Kinda like bank tellers: After they've handled real money for a while, they can tell fake stuff as soon as they touch it.

Eldartford, digital modeling amps have been around for years in the guitar world. As far as I can tell, people only play them out of desperation as they are a far cry from the thing that they are trying to model, i.e. a Marshall Plexi or Fender Twin. Its going to take more convincing than is possible in a thread to make modeling a plausible exercise for high end audio!

Mapman, not exactly. Pentodes are less linear in some ways than some CMOS devices, but still are more linear than a bipolar device. So the comment is a generalization, but only barely. In the case of triodes, there are no transistors, even the best fets and their variants, that are as linear.

Linearity in the device is a big deal if you want true audio/musical performance. Without it you will have to run less gain per stage and more feedback, making for a considerably more complex circuit. The simplicity of tube circuits is one of the ways that they rule over transistors.

Simple transistor circuits are rare. Their master is Nelson Pass. He has sorted out some of these simple facts, and built some of the best-sounding transistor amps around. But when you examine them, you will find that many of the so-called advantages of transistors (low output impedance, low heat) have been thrown out in favor of real advantages (performance that is musical to the human ear).

:) I just got home from a somewhat unsuccessfull fishing trip to Charlevoix and you guys have kept going on this thread and I found it's even in those three threads right on top. How did it get there? Really didn't plan on that.

Still don't have the amp as I need to wait how the whole GM thing will play out this week as unfortunately I work for a company which is directly affected by that. Hope I won't be knocking on the door of the unemploment office downtown next week.

Well, I shall keep coming back as I kinda like a thread with it's own heartbeat. As far as the usefullness goes I guess it has outlived it a little, yet if we were to no never through in something a little different this could be a somewhat boring forum.

Thanks guys

Krauti, GM as well as some other major car manufacturers are very capable of building some of the worlds best vehicles but it is a terrible shame that top management failed to make the transition from gasoline vehicles to greener transportation. They had plenty of time to contemplate this years ago. Global warmer is a serious threat and if we continue to on the path were on, no one will be employed. Will be too busy trying to survive.

Anyway there is a downside to everything, both solid state and tubes, just pick your poison.

Kruati, I bet next time you'll phrase your question differently. ;-)

98% of this thread is complete nonsense, but Phd's last post really took things down the crapper.