GLR, "Please tell me exactly what makes that a properly built and designed amplifier." A properly designed and built amplifier does what it's expected to do, amplify the applied signal in such a way that it's not producing things it shouldn't produce. There are a bunch of different ways of doing that. Those 'ways' depend on what device is used to do the amplifying, the transistor(s) or tube(s). Each has characteristics that are specific for each one of them. So do the particular circuit that they are used in. If you assume that the input and output characteristics are going to be the 'usual', then an amplifier's use on more than one fairly narrow range of frequencies requires that the input/output circuits need to be variable, or 'broad' enough to be usable. Both of those thingys have inconveniences. As in you either have to twist knobs, or put up with reduced efficiency of some sort, or pay lots more money. (Since I'm cheap, need all the 'help' I can get, sort of, I don't mind turning switches and/or knobs. That's just me, so do it however you are comfortable with.) Which is better, tubes or transistors? Depends entirely on where/how the thing is going to be used. At home, where I have lots more options (120 - 240Vac), I'd rather use a tube type amplifier. In the car/truck, where all I have is 12Vdc, transistor amplifiers/devices make more sense ($$$ type cents too). Is either of those choices (tube/transistor) better at amplifying than the other? Not really. Fact of Life #1; It's always gonna cost more than you originally thought. Fact of Life #2; Something else is always gonna be "better". When you get right down to it, other than the 'prestige', who cares, as long as it does what it's supposed to do, and you don't have to mortgage the place to get it? - 'Doc
