35 watts in Ultralinear vs 50 watts in Triode

Having run Manley amps with triode/UL options I found that UL seemed to create a "sheen" or "veneer" over the music. It seemed "harder" Sorry I am lacking the vocabulary to be more specific.

I have always found triode much more listenable and approachable. OTL triode lacks for niether detail or bass slam as Atma-sphere owners will attest.

When I owned Rogue 120Magnums I felt the Triode mode had better midrange with more focus and better depth and more grunt in the bass. I thought Ultralinear was inferior all around kind of washed out and thinner and not that much louder either so it was a no brainer.

If you have an amp that can switch between the two tetrode/triode, its a good idea to find out from the manufacturer which mode the output transformer was optimized for in that particular design. If they will tell you, and I stress 'IF', it is there where your amp will operate at it's best.

When you have an amp that can switch between modes, one thing is for sure: the triode mode will not actually reflect the sound and performance of real triodes. For that you will have to use an amp that is actually built with triodes which will demonstrate the linearity of the devices.

I should point out that due to the reduced distortion of triodes, they will also have a smoother sound in the mids and highs that some will mistake for 'softness', although if properly designed there will be no quarter given in the area of 'slam'. The simple fact is that triodes are the most linear form of amplification known to man, and thus it is possible to build the best sounding amps from them.

And given my perspective, I think that has been going on for a long time :)