Re: [ARSCLIST] Is The Record Shop Dead?

[Bob Olhsson <olh@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

-----Original Message-----
>From Steven C. Barr: "Nevertheless, since virtually all home-use audio
equipment does have SOME
distortion, the "warmth" of tube-amp distortion DOES exist...and is easily
audible. This is why many guitar amps still use tubes (although, admittedly,
the users of such amps often deliberately SEEK distortion...!)...

Also, I'm curious...does the average home tube amp have the increased
dynamic range...?"

I can't speak for contemporary equipment but the older stuff definitely had
a wider dynamic range and this resulted in a more "effortless" quality that
a comparably rated solid state unit. If you measured from the noise level to
the 5% harmonic distortion point, the tube gear generally came out way
ahead. It looked worse if you measured between the absolute noise level but
restricted distortion measurements to a few tenths of a percent.


Bob Olhsson Audio Mastery, Nashville TN
Mastering, Audio for Picture, Mix Evaluation and Quality Control
Over 40 years making people sound better than they ever imagined!
615.385.8051 http://www.hyperback.com