Cyrus Amp or Valve Amp

[chebby]

My bro-in-law was a qualified electronics engineer and worked nearly all his adult life in the aviation business. Valves (all valves) by definition overheat. End of.

Yikes! I never realised so many aircraft were flying around with valve based avionics. (And all overheated too!)

I thought valve (Klystron) based radars had gone over to solid state in the military way back in the 1960s.

I know lots of people who have worked for the local military electronics/avionics/radar/satellite industries (Plessey, Marconi, EADs Astrium, Matra, Siemens, BAE Systems, Racal, Lockheed Martin, Qinetiq to name just a few past and present companies in this area). Not just colleagues but some friends and family too.

Doesn't mean I can build you a torpedo or design a radar system for a warship.

So having a "bro-in-law" doesn't give your opinion any more or less weight in this matter than anyone elses. It would all still be 'hearsay' and not expert opinion.

 

[chebby]

A valve is a valve whether it's in a home amp or million pound radar/defence system.

See, a million pound, valve based, radar/defence system nowadays would be a bit like the MOD procurement equivalent of a bloke in an old transit van pulling up and offering to tarmac your drive for £50.

Modern radar systems (like the one for the Type 45 Destroyer that overlooks our city) take decades to develop and they cost billions.

 

[floyd droid]

A valve is a valve whether it's in a home amp or million pound radar/defence system. Sure they're different sizes but they all do one thing.

Yes they all do one thing, dependant on the application mind. But , unfortunately because you are obviously lead , blindly , by rubbish you read on't net etc , you will never get to hear what that one thing is when used in amplification of sound. So long as you are happy with your lot then furry muff . Have to say though being as your experience with valve amps appears to be zip , putting people off them is beyond the pale dont you think

 

[chebby]

Anyway... let's have a movie...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDvF89Bh27Y

 

[BigH]

Never had a valve amp but are don't the valves only have a 6 month warranty, last report I read of someone buying one, he had to send it back to the dealer who had it for 6 weeks sorting it out.

6 months warranty ? , doubt that very much H. As far as I know its the dealer who has to support the warranty , so he should have got his ar*e in gear.

Well Ive look at several valve amps that have 1 year warranty except valves are only 6 months or some are only 3 months. Watford valves have 3 0r 6 months depending on the make.

 

[drummerman]

Inevitable, valves have a finite life span. How long? - I think I owned mine for about 3 years and never had an issue. That was with regular daily use.

Ownership of these amplifiers require a little bit more care, involvement and expense than other topologies but you can greatly prolong valve life by not leaving them on when not in use and by avoiding fast on/off/on switching. Buy your valves from a reputabable source and get a matched set.

Not all valve amplifiers sound good, some are downright awful. I went through a few until I've settled for the Audio Innovations. Some were horribly bright with obvious audible distortion (as opposed to the more beningn, even order nice ones)

There is a reason that Audio Research, McIntosh etc, to name just two, still use valves. Correctly done, they can sound very, very nice and there's something strangely satisfying and cool about the glowing red bottles in a dimmly lit room.

Practical? Dunno. They use an awful lot of power, heat a room up and do cost a good deal but really, its not about that. Similar to vinyl, it just reaches places others don't.

I would love to have a nice one but simply can't afford one at present.

regards

 

[CJSF]

Inevitable, valves have a finite life span. How long? - I think I owned mine for about 3 years and never had an issue. That was with regular daily use.

Ownership of these amplifiers require a little bit more care, involvement and expense than other topologies but you can greatly prolong valve life by not leaving them on when not in use and by avoiding fast on/off/on switching. Buy your valves from a reputabable source and get a matched set.

Not all valve amplifiers sound good, some are downright awful. I went through a few until I've settled for the Audio Innovations. Some were horribly bright with obvious audible distortion (as opposed to the more beningn, even order nice ones)

There is a reason that Audio Research, McIntosh etc, to name just two, still use valves. Correctly done, they can sound very, very nice and there's something strangely satisfying and cool about the glowing red bottles in a dimmly lit room.

Practical? Dunno. They use an awful lot of power, heat a room up and do cost a good deal but really, its not about that. Similar to vinyl, it just reaches places others don't.

I would love to have a nice one but simply can't afford one at present.

regards

Well put DM . . . the word is involvement, the same as vinyl, if you dont want to be physically involved dont buy either . . . but there is something about the extra effort that is satisfying and very special.

CJSF

 

[floyd droid]

Well Ive look at several valve amps that have 1 year warranty except valves are only 6 months or some are only 3 months. Watford valves have 3 0r 6 months depending on the make.

Ah ,I appear to have got a tad muxed ip there H. Yip valves themselves a few months , thats pretty standard.

 

[namefail]

Why is Radar mentioned in this thread?

 

[floyd droid]

Not all valve amplifiers sound good, some are downright awful. I went through a few until I've settled for the Audio Innovations. Some were horribly bright with obvious audible distortion (as opposed to the more beningn, even order nice ones)

Good post DM and your findings above, which obviously I concur with , should give the ' yuk valve amps are all cuddly and warm ' brigade , food for thought.

If peeps audition , lets say, a KT88 push pull made by whoever and draw the conclusion that all push pull KT88 valve amps will sound the same , then they best think again. Theres far more to a valve amps voice than the power/driver valves used.

Amen , I'm off up my man den ,woodwork head mode. HIFI rack manufacturers ,pah I've s**t em ,lol.