Why so many tubes?

Respectfully, the idea that the number of cylinders in an automobile has a relationship to horsepower is NOT a good analogy... Let's consider a modern V-12 power plant say from a Bentley or Aston Martin. Now, let's compare that to a V-8 funny car or top fuel dragster. Or an F-1 motor.

Ridiculous comparison, yes? Of course, you need to take into account displacement, air/fuel delivery, torque delivered, etc. which are VERY different in the above examples... however the number of cylinders has little to do with ultimate power output but does have to do with HOW that power is delivered...

Happy listening.

This might reflect a little common sense approach but shouldn't the designer know how many tubes to use.

@musicfan 2349,

No it’s a totally valid comparison. You can take 12 el34s and run them conservatively or you can take 8 kt150s and run them hard in dual mono set up.

A V12 top fuel drag car (if they existed) will walk away from the V8 top fuel drag car. There’s no replacement for displacement...remember?

You’re being a bit nitpicky with you’re point...but I think you know the general sentiment.

Seems like a complicated way to reproduce music. And yes a little bit of laziness involved, but electrical engineers make lousy writers as the subject is a difficult exposition.
So some of tubes are the same as the power transformers? And I am open to SS to being more complicated.

From this I get that tubes are complicated and transistors are moreso. That's correct. The alternative is no music. That makes me crazy and then it gets complicated :)

A V12 top fuel drag car (if they existed) will walk away from the V8 top fuel drag car. There’s no replacement for displacement...remember?

False. Cylinder count and displacement are not mutually exclusive. You can have a 4 liter 12 cylinder Ferrari and a 4 liter 6 cylinder. Exact same displacement. Depends on the designers goals and the desired torque and horsepower band and at what RPM. There is a reason you wont find a 12 cylinder top fuel dragster and it isnt because they cant figure it out.