Why do audiophiles shun feedback in amplifiers?

Learsfool, Term "Scale" applies to all string instruments. Please read here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scale_%28string_instruments%29

Upright basses have 10" longer scale than bass guitar. It makes for much higher string tension* resulting in (as Dracule1 called it) "initial fast transient attack followed by natural decay and rich harmonics".

*Since string tension goes in square of length 43.3" upright bass has twice the string tension of McCartney's 30.25" Hofner bass that in comparison sounds flabby with lack of definition - poor attack, muddy overtones. .

Kijanki, thanks for pointing that out on the Stereophile article. One famous amplifier designer told me there is no such thing as totally zero negative feedback. Even the tubes themselves can have built in feedback.

Learsfool, I know "tight" is not a term most musicians use. But we audiophiles (and closet musician on the side such as myself) have our own set of terminology that will befuddle most musicians. We use many different terms to describe the similar, if not the same, thing (eg, instrument tone, tonality, timbre, overtones, harmonics).

Hi Dracule1,
I `ve never read or been told that NFB exists within a tube`s internal/intrinsic construction.I don`t believe that"every amplifier" has NFB. I`m not an engineer nor a designer of audio components but I think some of them would disagree with your friends statement.When people talk of NFB it`s in terms of deliberate insertion into a circuit either globally or local loops.

But really it`s just what sound we all prefer.You like some NFB in your amps circuit and that`s fine.What ever no or zero NFB is, that`s what sounds best to me when properly implemented.This has been an interesting thread and I appreciate the various points of view.
Rgards,

NFB....love it or hate it.

Most things occur in shades of grey, not pure black and white.