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Is your tube amp really a tube amp?

I use and love the older ARC D70Mk2 tube amp. To many people, this design is a true tube amp...however, ARC uses a LOT of transistors in the circuit. In the "day" a transistor was considered a ss device. Anyone know of a tube amp that uses NO transistors in the circuit...only tubes. I suspect that in my amp, the audio signal passes only through the tubes and not through the "ss" devices ( don't know this for sure)...Therefore, what is a TRUE tube amp...how many of us are actually using such a device ( no transistors or other ss devices whatsoever in the amp), vs. a hybrid...what's the definition of that term in regards to tube gear?
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Showing 6 responses by czarivey

czarivey
5,676 posts
 
Yogiboy,
I thought that Quickies all use SS power supply.
Some of them use SS diode couplers instead of capacitors.
czarivey
5,676 posts
 
I had Quickies M60 with SS power supply
czarivey
5,676 posts
 
ZD, I've never seen tube DAC chip at all. I only know semiconductor DAC chips or circuits. Is DAC(logic component) in VK D5se implemented with vacuum tubes like in first computer?? I thought that it would take at least a size of 24' box truck enclosure to implement it with vacuum tubes.
czarivey
5,676 posts
 
there are many true tube amps, but are there ANY true tube CD-players with buncha toobz? i only saw ones with single tube per channel and the rest of circuit is semiconducters
czarivey
5,676 posts
 
Answer: they ain't got no bass.
czarivey
5,676 posts
 
Yup never mix milk with coffee or visa versa. Keep the race clean:-)
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