Tube vs. Solid State Preamp
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From: Jim Thompson on 30 Mar 2010 13:23 On Tue, 30 Mar 2010 09:49:03 -0700, Joerg <invalid(a)invalid.invalid> wrote: >John Larkin wrote: >> On Tue, 30 Mar 2010 08:56:08 -0700 (PDT), Chris >> <christopher.maness(a)gmail.com> wrote: >> >>> With today's modern technology, is it possible to make a solid state >>> preamp that is as quiet as a good tube pre? >>> > >Sure, but it will be shunned by tube-freaks :-) > > >>> I am thinking about building a preamp. >>> >>> Thanks, >>> Chris >> >> Tubes are noisy. >> > >Not at all. I remember when I was young and those super low noise RF >FETs came out. Everyone (who had the dough to buy those) jumped on them, >only to find out that the old nuvistor preamp was in about the same >ballpark noisewise but had a dynamic range from here to the Klondike >while them thar newfangled trainsistahs didn't. If you know how to bias BJT's for low noise, you can make phenomenally low audio noise preamp's. Sheeesh! Back when I was a kid I could make a reasonably low noise preamp with Ge devices... low current and low VCE. ...Jim Thompson -- | James E.Thompson, CTO | mens | | Analog Innovations, Inc. | et | | Analog/Mixed-Signal ASIC's and Discrete Systems | manus | | Phoenix, Arizona 85048 Skype: Contacts Only | | | Voice:(480)460-2350 Fax: Available upon request | Brass Rat | | E-mail Icon at http://www.analog-innovations.com | 1962 | The only thing bipartisan in this country is hypocrisy
From: Dirk Bruere at NeoPax on 30 Mar 2010 13:32 On 30/03/2010 17:49, Joerg wrote: > John Larkin wrote: >> On Tue, 30 Mar 2010 08:56:08 -0700 (PDT), Chris >> <christopher.maness(a)gmail.com> wrote: >> >>> With today's modern technology, is it possible to make a solid state >>> preamp that is as quiet as a good tube pre? >>> > > Sure, but it will be shunned by tube-freaks :-) > > >>> I am thinking about building a preamp. >>> >>> Thanks, >>> Chris >> >> Tubes are noisy. > > Not at all. I remember when I was young and those super low noise RF > FETs came out. Everyone (who had the dough to buy those) jumped on them, > only to find out that the old nuvistor preamp was in about the same > ballpark noisewise but had a dynamic range from here to the Klondike > while them thar newfangled trainsistahs didn't. > Comparing the best tube amp to the worst (new) FET amp? -- Dirk http://www.transcendence.me.uk/ - Transcendence UK http://www.blogtalkradio.com/onetribe - Occult Talk Show
From: Joerg on 30 Mar 2010 13:41 Jim Thompson wrote: > On Tue, 30 Mar 2010 09:49:03 -0700, Joerg <invalid(a)invalid.invalid> > wrote: > >> John Larkin wrote: >>> On Tue, 30 Mar 2010 08:56:08 -0700 (PDT), Chris >>> <christopher.maness(a)gmail.com> wrote: >>> >>>> With today's modern technology, is it possible to make a solid state >>>> preamp that is as quiet as a good tube pre? >>>> >> Sure, but it will be shunned by tube-freaks :-) >> >> >>>> I am thinking about building a preamp. >>>> >>>> Thanks, >>>> Chris >>> Tubes are noisy. >>> >> Not at all. I remember when I was young and those super low noise RF >> FETs came out. Everyone (who had the dough to buy those) jumped on them, >> only to find out that the old nuvistor preamp was in about the same >> ballpark noisewise but had a dynamic range from here to the Klondike >> while them thar newfangled trainsistahs didn't. > > If you know how to bias BJT's for low noise, you can make phenomenally > low audio noise preamp's. > > Sheeesh! Back when I was a kid I could make a reasonably low noise > preamp with Ge devices... low current and low VCE. > When I was a kid that wasn't needed. The "lowest noise" audio source were 45rpm records and even that didn't matter. Because in our time it was all rock music. The louder the better. So the race was on who could build the biggest honking amplifier. My limit was reached when the breaker on a typical European 230V/16A circuit would trip off upon a heavy-handed twang on the electric guitar :-) -- Regards, Joerg http://www.analogconsultants.com/ "gmail" domain blocked because of excessive spam. Use another domain or send PM.
From: Jim Thompson on 30 Mar 2010 13:58 On Tue, 30 Mar 2010 10:41:07 -0700, Joerg <invalid(a)invalid.invalid> wrote: >Jim Thompson wrote: >> On Tue, 30 Mar 2010 09:49:03 -0700, Joerg <invalid(a)invalid.invalid> >> wrote: >> >>> John Larkin wrote: >>>> On Tue, 30 Mar 2010 08:56:08 -0700 (PDT), Chris >>>> <christopher.maness(a)gmail.com> wrote: >>>> >>>>> With today's modern technology, is it possible to make a solid state >>>>> preamp that is as quiet as a good tube pre? >>>>> >>> Sure, but it will be shunned by tube-freaks :-) >>> >>> >>>>> I am thinking about building a preamp. >>>>> >>>>> Thanks, >>>>> Chris >>>> Tubes are noisy. >>>> >>> Not at all. I remember when I was young and those super low noise RF >>> FETs came out. Everyone (who had the dough to buy those) jumped on them, >>> only to find out that the old nuvistor preamp was in about the same >>> ballpark noisewise but had a dynamic range from here to the Klondike >>> while them thar newfangled trainsistahs didn't. >> >> If you know how to bias BJT's for low noise, you can make phenomenally >> low audio noise preamp's. >> >> Sheeesh! Back when I was a kid I could make a reasonably low noise >> preamp with Ge devices... low current and low VCE. >> > >When I was a kid that wasn't needed. The "lowest noise" audio source >were 45rpm records and even that didn't matter. Because in our time it >was all rock music. The louder the better. So the race was on who could >build the biggest honking amplifier. My limit was reached when the >breaker on a typical European 230V/16A circuit would trip off upon a >heavy-handed twang on the electric guitar :-) You're still a kid :-) My record for a solid-state amplifier is 400W (RMS, sustained, fan on a heat-sink "tunnel" :-) ...Jim Thompson -- | James E.Thompson, CTO | mens | | Analog Innovations, Inc. | et | | Analog/Mixed-Signal ASIC's and Discrete Systems | manus | | Phoenix, Arizona 85048 Skype: Contacts Only | | | Voice:(480)460-2350 Fax: Available upon request | Brass Rat | | E-mail Icon at http://www.analog-innovations.com | 1962 | The only thing bipartisan in this country is hypocrisy
From: Joerg on 30 Mar 2010 14:07
Jim Thompson wrote: > On Tue, 30 Mar 2010 10:41:07 -0700, Joerg <invalid(a)invalid.invalid> > wrote: > >> Jim Thompson wrote: >>> On Tue, 30 Mar 2010 09:49:03 -0700, Joerg <invalid(a)invalid.invalid> >>> wrote: >>> >>>> John Larkin wrote: >>>>> On Tue, 30 Mar 2010 08:56:08 -0700 (PDT), Chris >>>>> <christopher.maness(a)gmail.com> wrote: >>>>> >>>>>> With today's modern technology, is it possible to make a solid state >>>>>> preamp that is as quiet as a good tube pre? >>>>>> >>>> Sure, but it will be shunned by tube-freaks :-) >>>> >>>> >>>>>> I am thinking about building a preamp. >>>>>> >>>>>> Thanks, >>>>>> Chris >>>>> Tubes are noisy. >>>>> >>>> Not at all. I remember when I was young and those super low noise RF >>>> FETs came out. Everyone (who had the dough to buy those) jumped on them, >>>> only to find out that the old nuvistor preamp was in about the same >>>> ballpark noisewise but had a dynamic range from here to the Klondike >>>> while them thar newfangled trainsistahs didn't. >>> If you know how to bias BJT's for low noise, you can make phenomenally >>> low audio noise preamp's. >>> >>> Sheeesh! Back when I was a kid I could make a reasonably low noise >>> preamp with Ge devices... low current and low VCE. >>> >> When I was a kid that wasn't needed. The "lowest noise" audio source >> were 45rpm records and even that didn't matter. Because in our time it >> was all rock music. The louder the better. So the race was on who could >> build the biggest honking amplifier. My limit was reached when the >> breaker on a typical European 230V/16A circuit would trip off upon a >> heavy-handed twang on the electric guitar :-) > > You're still a kid :-) > > My record for a solid-state amplifier is 400W (RMS, sustained, fan on > a heat-sink "tunnel" :-) > Mine's over a kilowatt. But tubes, plus a humongous circus-speaker. 930VDC plate voltage right on the coil, still getting goose bumps about that one. Back then I vowed to never, ever wind a new coil for a speaker again. Power was also sustained. Well, until this car with the blue light on top showed up ... -- Regards, Joerg http://www.analogconsultants.com/ "gmail" domain blocked because of excessive spam. Use another domain or send PM. |