Don't know why they would but in other amplification of old, tubes had a different audio response then transistors. Maybe it makes no difference in RF amplification
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Do Tubes have a different sound than transistors?
- Thread starter NightOwl3261
- Start date
In RF, when linear you can't hear the difference.
All I can add is I have a Lafayette Comstat 35, which is a tube radio, and a Cobra 148 GTL. BOTH radios are utilizing a D-104 amplified desk mic. And the audio reports I get on the Comstat 35 SMOKE the 148. Hands down. Much louder, and "richer" sounding audio. I wondered the same thing a few years ago, so I made the comparison on the air with a few other guys. And it was unanimous among them. So I guess I gotta say "yes". Not only that, but it's reported that my D&A Maverick also sound better than my Texas Star 350. The Star sounds good, don't get me wrong, but again....the whole "richer" sounding thing applies to the Maverick. There are those who will debate "glass" vs. "solid state" to the ends of the earth, but these have just been my personal findings. And I've had others agree with the same thing also. I'm realize that some of the new "high end" MOSFET amps sound fantastic. But do they sound "different" than high end tube amps??.....I would think so...but don't have the wallet to be able to make the comparison myself, but at the end of the day, I PERSONALLY believe that there is a difference.
Who knows what condition the electrolytic audio coupling capacitors are in with the 148GTL or its ALC circuit settings. The modulation iron used in the Comstat will be the limiting factor in terms of fidelity and audio bandwidth. It is very good for voice but upgrading the coupling caps used in the solid state 148, would beat it in this area. More often than not, the differences we hear with our radios, has more to do with the supporting circuitry and how it's driven, than it does with the active component being a tube or transistor.
Shockwave, when you say "upgrading the coupling caps" in the 148, are you talking about component value changes or better quality caps?
LC
LC
This is reminiscent of the never-ending debate about audio amplifiers, particularly for the electric guitar. There's no denying that every way of amplifying sound will include some form or forms of distortion. The 'perfect' amplifier doesn't exist.
But the musical "harshness" or "richnesss" of distortion are still real, in the realm of psychoaccoustics. What appeals most to people's ears is not always what the lab instruments show to be most accurate.
This is not so clear-cut for RF amplifiers. The actual waveform is the RF signal. But the way an amplifier affects the AM-modulation envelope still matters. And not all amplifiers are created equal in that department.
There was an article 25 years ago in a magazine called "Glass Audio". Took tube and solid-state audio amplifiers and showed 3-dimensional plots of distortion type and percentage, and which orders of harmonic content. The characteristic distortion of the tube amps were visibly different from the solid-state. The author concluded that if your ears prefer the "good" distortion of a tube amp, that's what you'll like better. Any kind of measurable "clean" was not the determining factor alone.
73
But the musical "harshness" or "richnesss" of distortion are still real, in the realm of psychoaccoustics. What appeals most to people's ears is not always what the lab instruments show to be most accurate.
This is not so clear-cut for RF amplifiers. The actual waveform is the RF signal. But the way an amplifier affects the AM-modulation envelope still matters. And not all amplifiers are created equal in that department.
There was an article 25 years ago in a magazine called "Glass Audio". Took tube and solid-state audio amplifiers and showed 3-dimensional plots of distortion type and percentage, and which orders of harmonic content. The characteristic distortion of the tube amps were visibly different from the solid-state. The author concluded that if your ears prefer the "good" distortion of a tube amp, that's what you'll like better. Any kind of measurable "clean" was not the determining factor alone.
73
To put it a bit in perspective, most untrained ears won't hear 10% distortion, and very well trained ear can hear 2% distortion.
As with audio a lot is personal, tube amps ( audio) produce soft distortion even harmonics which to our ears is soft distortion and we translate it in "warm" audio.
Semiconductor amps produce uneven harmonics sounding harsh to our ears, added with personal prejudice.
My old Yamaha amplifier of 2 x 100 watts produced 0.02% distortion, unable to be heard, up to 20 watt per channel it ran Class A, used tons of power but very low distortion, what got in got out.
My FT2000-D 200 watt radio could run 75 watt in Class A, as i used that to my amplifier, clean signal absolute the best to use to drive an amplifier.
My current radio Yaesu FT991A just runs class A/B in the 2 times 100 watt Fets, sound just as fine because i don't overdrive audio chains, watch my ALC like a hawk.
I use th 40+ year old Yaesu MD-1 microphone now for 40 years, served me well, no fancy microphone, and the EQplus audio processor, the internal radio audio settings are off, or straight through.
I only add a tad high for my low voice, bit compression and limitter, downwards expander settings, no effects processor.
The more crap you add to the microphone audio chain it will have an effect on your audio.
I do not try to be a high fidelity BBC broadcaster i am an ham where a clean signal with as good as you can get understandabillety is important.
It is communication not BBC broadcasting...
My voice needs to cut through the band crap and be well understandable and not get medals for hi fi audio....
Still sounds good if i listen to my qso partners giving unsollicitated good reports of my audio.
Bit getting of subject i see.... rambling off, please continue discussion
As with audio a lot is personal, tube amps ( audio) produce soft distortion even harmonics which to our ears is soft distortion and we translate it in "warm" audio.
Semiconductor amps produce uneven harmonics sounding harsh to our ears, added with personal prejudice.
My old Yamaha amplifier of 2 x 100 watts produced 0.02% distortion, unable to be heard, up to 20 watt per channel it ran Class A, used tons of power but very low distortion, what got in got out.
My FT2000-D 200 watt radio could run 75 watt in Class A, as i used that to my amplifier, clean signal absolute the best to use to drive an amplifier.
My current radio Yaesu FT991A just runs class A/B in the 2 times 100 watt Fets, sound just as fine because i don't overdrive audio chains, watch my ALC like a hawk.
I use th 40+ year old Yaesu MD-1 microphone now for 40 years, served me well, no fancy microphone, and the EQplus audio processor, the internal radio audio settings are off, or straight through.
I only add a tad high for my low voice, bit compression and limitter, downwards expander settings, no effects processor.
The more crap you add to the microphone audio chain it will have an effect on your audio.
I do not try to be a high fidelity BBC broadcaster i am an ham where a clean signal with as good as you can get understandabillety is important.
It is communication not BBC broadcasting...
My voice needs to cut through the band crap and be well understandable and not get medals for hi fi audio....
Still sounds good if i listen to my qso partners giving unsollicitated good reports of my audio.
Bit getting of subject i see.... rambling off, please continue discussion
This involves changing the cap values in the audio stages, to expand the bandwidth. Coupling and emitter bypass caps, are increased. RF bypass and negative feedback caps, are reduced in value.
One other thing I'd like to add about tubes versus solid state, concerns bass audio. How an amplifier sounds with respect to Distortion, or being intentionally driven into Distortion, is one thing. Total bandwidth with the ability to "feel" bass, is another.
The coupling techniques required for tube amplifiers, limits their frequency response, particularly in the area of subsonic bass. Some solid state amplifiers are DC coupled and have the ability to reproduce much stronger bass than any tube amplifier, with its capacitive and transformer coupling.
One AM broadcast station, recognized this limitation back in the heyday of tube transmitters. Their engineer designed a custom tube transmitter, that used a directly coupled modulator, known as the Cathanode. Excellent bass response, but so inefficient do to mismatches in impedance, it was later modified to a standard plate modulator.
The coupling techniques required for tube amplifiers, limits their frequency response, particularly in the area of subsonic bass. Some solid state amplifiers are DC coupled and have the ability to reproduce much stronger bass than any tube amplifier, with its capacitive and transformer coupling.
One AM broadcast station, recognized this limitation back in the heyday of tube transmitters. Their engineer designed a custom tube transmitter, that used a directly coupled modulator, known as the Cathanode. Excellent bass response, but so inefficient do to mismatches in impedance, it was later modified to a standard plate modulator.
Well, again , when you drop a transistor on the floor it isn't accompanied by that sickening sound of shattering glass....
Just like you can get all the digital sound processing you want, but RIP- Meat Loaf the Rock of the Universe- still sounds best on the original 8-track. Every time I hear Bat Out of Hell, today I still swear it sounded better in my 1978 Nova with the Sears AM/FM 8-track and Jensen Tri-Axial speakers in the rear deck. Huge difference- yesterdays modern technology.