Why can the tube amplifier return to the stage, and what are its advantages?

                Why can the tube amplifier return to the stage, and what are its advantages?

With its absolute advantages in sound quality, the tube power amplifier has been continuously updated after decades of solid-state power amplifiers. Tube amplifiers have staged a strong comeback over the past decade.

simple circuit

We believe that the sound quality of tube amplifiers is unmatched by transistors. Tubes usually provide a pure signal path with a very simple circuit and a small number of components, resulting in a more realistic signal transmission. So it can play high fidelity audio. "This is because fewer components provide fewer elements in the circuit to reduce signal and sound distortion and confusion, making the sound less distorted. The simple circuit structure also provides higher reliability, so fewer parts will failure. Tubes are more resilient to circuit reflections and deviations in component specifications, so they can be used in simpler, more unitary circuits”

Stronger carrying capacity

It turns out that a lot of music needs a strong signal to drive. In the tube amplifier test, the power is also continuously increased with the progressive power of the loading process. The nature of the low even harmonics will progressively distort radially when the clip load reaches its maximum power limit. In comprehensive audio testing, even small distortions are detectable, and even solid-state circuits hit their power limits and go into clipping, and higher-order audio distortions are not aggressive to the ear. But in transistor amps, when the maximum power current is reached, the distortion rises very quickly. Shows very severe distortion and can easily destroy the drive of the amp if not stopped immediately.

Vacuum Tubes and Tones

The difference in distortion characteristics between the two technologies is best illustrated by its effect on guitar amp design.

Tube guitar amp makers have historically designed their circuits to drive the output stage to overdrive causing distortion, and the distortion during use, to achieve their trademark "tone". In tube amps, this tone contributes to the sound of the amp, but in solid-state amps, this distortion is inaudible and can easily destroy speakers.

When a transistor is overloaded, the dominant distortion product is the third harmonic. The third harmony produces what many musicians call the "cap" sound. Instead of making the tone fuller, a strong third actually makes the tone thin and hard. On the other hand, the dominant distortion product of tubes (especially triodes) is the second harmonic: "Musically, the second is an octave above the fundamental, barely audible, but it adds weight to the sound , to make it more complete." Tubes sound better because their audio is more musical. The tube provides a more suitable load for the transducer. This is the fundamental reason why tube amps sound better.

Vacuum tubes are more linear

Tubes are voltage amplifiers, not transistors, which are current amplifying devices. Therefore, tubes are a more linear amplification technology and require less overall negative feedback to make the circuit linear. Negative feedback injects samples of the amplifier's output signal into the input, 180 degrees out of phase, in an attempt to reduce amplifier nonlinearity and distortion. In effect, negative feedback tends to slow down the amp and suck emotion and life out of the music. High-feedback designs often sound flat and lifeless, while low- or zero-feedback designs provide a more direct and natural sound. Transistor amplifiers typically require the use of local loop or global negative feedback in excess of 40dB, depending on the technology and type of output device used.

Superior Dynamic Capabilities

The higher operating voltages present in tube amplifiers generally allow for wider voltage swings and better signal headroom before entering the overload region. Higher operating voltages yield lower audible energy storage* capacitors with lower values. A 500 volt operating voltage in a tube amplifier is about 80 volts in a transistor circuit. This is likely why many listeners find tubes to sound more powerful.