Tube Amp settings: Triode vs UL; 8 ohm vs. 4 ohm ?

A lot of people prefer triode operation over ultralinear for sound quality (smoother, less brittle sound), but the cost is lower output.  I have only heard a few amps where such a switch can be made for a direct comparison and I don’t recall liking triode operation that much more than ultralinear.  Again, give both a try.

(On a different amp) I was expecting to like triode better the UL, but that was not the case as the bass was thin. But the vocal were more airy in a nice way using UL.
(the beauty of a switch is it is easy to try it.)

Maybe another amp driving the woofers would be a thing for me to try.

The only process is to 'try and see'.

I once had 6 ohm, 88db speaker with an impedance dip down to 3 ohms. Naturally I kept the amp on UL mode because that sounded better on most music and hooked the speakers up to the 4 ohm taps.

It sounded great! Listened to it for more than a year like this before trying the 8 ohm taps for kicks.

Well, the mid and upper band frequencies had more 'air'...and no discernable change in bass response.

Who would have thought. I wasted a year listening to the 4 ohm taps.

UL and 8 ohm.

Save yourself the aggravation.

UL and 8 ohm.

Save yourself the aggravation.

Simply not true. There is no way this is a universal decision. You have to take time and actually listen to all of the various setting options.

Charles