Who will survive? One last table til I die.

Dear Twl:*****" The distortion from this(my personal) amplifier has total harmonic distortion of much less than 2% in the audio spectrum and the predominating location is at the 2nd harmonic(with much much less in the rest of the spectrum). Output impedance with 0 feedback is under 1.8 ohms. "****

This is exactly the point: THD 2% is really a high distortion it does not matters if location is: 2nd harmonic. But the output impedance of 1.8 OHms is a heavy problem for your amp can works like a constant voltaje source ( it's almost imposible ). This very high output impedance is the problem.
Now, you can check in your Stereophile's any ( all ) of the tests about, for tube and SS amplifiers,. and you can find the terrible errors that have all the tube amplifiers when they are trying to match the impedance of the speakers. Again, you can hear it.
Gregadd,this is not how it measure it is that any one can hear that big mistakes. The output impedance in the tubes amplifiers, usually, goes from 0.5 to 3 OHms ( high one ) and the output impedance in the SS goes from 0.02 to 0.5 OHms ( very low one. That's is one of the parameters why the SS has a high damping factor ). This is the point and the problem on the subject and you can hear it ( any one ).
BTW, I'm not in love with " specifications numbers " but like in the cartridge/tonearm combo is very important the " number " on the resonance frecuency, here at the amps this output impedance is one of the issues.
Any one that is using tube amplifiers in their system, don't really know how really " sound " their speakers and don't know the true performance of their audio system.
Don't say " NO " for what I'm telling you, till you do a serious test with a whole SS audio system at your home and for at least three months.
Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.
Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.

Raul?

Raul,

Yes, I know that tubes are voltage devices. Bipolar transistors are current devices and mosfet transistors are voltage devices like tubes. Yes the theory of operation is different but the application is still very similar. You use a small current or voltage to control a larger voltage or current. And though bipolar and mosfet transistors operate on different principles they end up sounding much the same. And neither has linearity that is even close to that of a vacuum tube. This is all quite irrelevant to this discussion.

The topic of complementary devices is another red herring. It just makes it easy to implement a push-pull topology without using a transformer or coupling capacitor. The push pull topology does cancel distortions but also has it's own set of advantages and disadvantages. Push pull is widely used with both tube and transistor equipment so it has nothing to do with the topic at hand.

You are really in the weeds when you imply that non-feedback is practically gospel. Please name a single commercial transistor amplifier that uses no global feedback. For that matter name a single non-triode tube amp with no feedback. Reduced feedback is an often cited goal but with the vast majority of amplifiers the sound would sound awful without any feedback.

The intent of my post was to counter your outrageous assertion that tube amplifiers are frequency equalizers and therefore unsuitable. You countered with a number of irrelevant facts (some of which were also wrong) but never came back with any justification for your position. If you are going to make sweeping authoritative statements then I suggest that you be ready to defend them.

Personally I love the sound of tubes and in particular single ended triodes with no feedback. So does that give me license to say that transistor amps suck? Or that anyone that likes transistor amps is uninformed and/or can't hear? I have plenty of tolerance and even appreciation for people that have different preferences and views. But my tolerance for those that impose their views on others is pretty thin.

Chris

Anybody notice how Raul's English improved about an order of magnitude in that last post? Interesting...

Indeed. One wonders who actually wrote it. Is some SS amp builder ghosting for Raul?

Raul- Would love to test it for three months. Everyone else uses their system as their reference point- what is YOUR reference point for your own personal state-of-the-art, zero feedback, solid state amp/pre/phono?

After all, I wouldn't want to start my testing with something less than the same equipment you have so as to be fair. Maybe you could let me know what speakers you have, too, to further reduce trial and error.

Regards
Jim