Sonic atributes ultralinear vs tetrode vs pentode

Trelja, IM(H)O, you need to step back a couple of paces and look consider how most audiophiles would see this:

The fact that a triode makes 20-30% of pentode power means to most anyone that if you have a pentode amp of 60 watts, if it was then wired in triode, it would make maybe 20 watts. Similarly, if I say that UL makes most of the power of pentode, while approaching triode linearity, its not going to be skin off of anyone's back to find out that the result is about 40 watts, which is 'most' of 60 watts, since 40 watts is more than half of the power. We're not talking rocket science here; its pretty common to trade off between power and linearity.

Atmasphere, regarding the triode/UL/pentode (20/40/60 wpc) relationship, you've now repeated what I've put forth, not once, but multiple times. This calls to mind the exchanges of Bugs Bunny and Yosemite Sam.

That might be funny except that you still have yet to get your head around the fact that the number 40 lies halfway (and not "most" or 2/3 of the way) between 20 and 60. In your words, "We're not talking rocket science here." Agreed, it's only fourth grade math.

The good (or bad) thing about this is that no matter how many times you get it wrong, the correct answer never changes. Until you understand how the number 40 relates to 20 and 60, your understanding of how ultralinear relates to triode and pentode operation will likewise forever remain fatally flawed.

40 watts is most of 60 watts.

A quick search reveals that dictionaries are inconsistent in defining "most." The relevant definition that is indicated in many of them is "a majority of," or some equivalent words. Some, however, indicate "a great majority" or "nearly all."

Even if we grant the contention by Joe (Trelja) that "0 is not one of the endpoints," which is debatable IMO, but if we accept the "majority of" definition, Ralph's statement comes within an infinitesimally small increment of being correct (for example, 40.000000001 encompasses a majority of the difference between 20 and 60). In which case claiming that Ralph is wrong because 40 does not encompass a majority of that difference would seem to be splitting hairs, as he indicated.

On the other hand, using the "great majority of" or "nearly all" definitions, Ralph's statement would be incorrect, certainly if the lower endpoint is considered to be 20, and probably even if 0 is considered to be that endpoint.

The bottom line, IMO: It's listener dependent :-)

Best regards,
-- Al

I think you're mostly right Al.