Triode or Ultralinear

Well, Tvad is right as long as this is occurring inside one amp- like if you have a switch to go back and forth. But- if you compare real triodes to pentodes **wired** as triodes, you will hear a substantial difference.

Ultralinear is a way to approach triode linearity with a pentode, without loosing a lot of power. It is a compromise. So is wiring a pentode in triode mode. If you really want to hear what a *real* triode **actually** does, you will have to get a real triode amp to do that. The difference will not just be 'something different' (all other things being equal), it will be a real improvement.

I would agree with both Tvad and Atmasphere. I have the Dialogue Two, and have been having alot of fun exploring the difference between the two modes. The more I listen, the more things I personally prefer in the triode mode, especially vocals, chamber music, and small jazz combos. Even full orchestral and opera can sound better in the triode mode sometimes, though more often the ultra-linear is better for that. I have found that there aren't very many generalizations one can make, it depends greatly on each individual recording. I often find that older recordings that were recorded with tubes sound better in the triode mode, but not always. I love playing around with it, that's for sure. As Atmasphere comments, it has made me curious to explore a SET amp someday.

To summarize, "4 out of 5 dentists prefer triode".

Learsfool, you might also include push-pull triode amps in your quest; not all that is triode is SET.