Tube Equipment: Gimmick?

FWIW, mechanical engineers and electrical engineers attend the same college classes. When one wishes to become a Professional Engineer (PE) you chose your discipline and serve your apprentice time (EIT-engineer in training), then take a final exam in your chosen area after four years of real world work. Now, chemical engineers are a differenct story. They are the creme de la creme in the engineering field, IMHO.

Tubes are great, IMNSHO.

In certain circles Gunbei is known as "The Rectifier". He came by that name from his fondness for a technique he calls the "GZ34 suppository". He's 'rectified' some pathetically misguided fans of SS to become card-carrying tube-lovers. He has a 100% success rate using his that technique ever since he was able to keep the tubes wired up and glowing! Those GZ34's get mighty hot!

....be afraid, be VERY afraid.....

Marco

Marco

I love readin yer posts marco!

Ok, now i got a question...

Most engineers and amplifier designers seem to agree that the "Warmth" of tuves is a result of the 2nd order harmonic distortion, which means that what people like about tubes and the tube sound is basically distortion.

Im reading about high power amplifier construction, because im done paying big bucks for a system, so im gonna build my own 100% except for the source.

The impression im getting is that SS amplifiers with "tube like" sound actually have circuitry which introduces the 2nd order harmonic distortion. is this true?

Looking at the specs for tube gear and solid state gear, i have to agree that solid state creates a more realistic and accurate presentation of the origional source, but the distortion encountered by tube gear really does bring some extra life to music.

Personally, im a solid state dude,. After i build my reference system, i will probably mess around with a couple bottlehead kits or something, i'd like to have a tube system as well.

It is all a matter of taste though..

I know some audiophiles frown on tone controls and look for the perfect reproduction in music, and alot of these people really frown upon tubes and go with solid state, because it has less distortion.
They also frown on tone controls and such. Personally, for ME, this is all about me listening to mucic on MY terms not somone elses. I preffer solid state, but i have no problem with those who preffer tubes.

Anybody who trashes tubes needs to have a good sit down with tubes and take a long listen on a well put together system

Anybody who trashes solid state needs to do the same thing.

There is no right or wrong in this, it is what you preffer.

Me? Im a solid state guy.

Also, YER ALL A BUNCH OF SUCKERS! IM GONNA BUILD MY OWN SYSTEM FOR THE SIMPLE FACT IT WILL HAVE NO (RE-)SALE VALUE! THAT WAY NEXT TIME I GET IN HOT FINANCIAL WATER I CANNOT SELL MY RIG TO PAY THE DEBTs!!!!

HAHAHAHA!
SUCKERS!!!!

just kiddin. Yer not all suckers. Well, Marco is because im already selling his "Perch" in japan and he doesent know of it yet. hehehehe SHHHH

when i get it built over this next year i'll be sure to put pics up, i already have it planned i just gotta build it, and it will be beautiful! :)

Personally, I don't think tubes are more pleasing to my ears; which I understand is a reflection of my own taste. However, couldn't the same effects (lack of listening fatigue, warmer sound, etc.) be achieved by changing the characteristics of the speakers? This would be a more effective and efficient way of developing a system. If I were seeking "tube-like" characteristics from my system, I would invest in an FPB-300 and a pair of electrostatic speakers. Presumably, I would be achieving my goal, while maintaining some versatility and efficiency with my electronics. Please, correct me if I'm wrong!!!

KRELL RULES!!! CONSEQUENTLY, TUBES DROOL!!!

I guess Harry Pearson initiated this argument by positing the notion of an Absolute Sound. This, of course, is nonsense since the sort of sound satisfaction we seek can only be evaluated subjectively and therefore lacks a standard. Yeah, I know, live music, blah, blah, blah.
Again, the evaluation is purely subjective, the numbers and measurements and theory are useless and the fun , focus or finale are all in how YOU perceive them.
So pick your poison and shut up. The other guy is not wrong and neither are you. This sort of bickering seems to support the accusation that audiophiles are somehow immature or underdeveloped. And maybe you are but I would really appreciate it if you would stop reflecting badly on the rest of us.
Reminds me of the joke about how 99% of attorneys give the rest of them a bad name.