It seems appropriate to mention here that neither of my modest tube rectified amps (the MC30 and the Audio by Van Alstine Ultravalve) seem to have any difficulty reproducing realistic dynamic swings. That includes music with dramatic, wildly exuberant content like tunes from the band Snarky Puppy. I attribute that largely to the Belle Klipsch horn speakers. I do have to crank it up a bit to get that sense of experiencing a live performance.
OK mike_p, I hear you.
But remember tube rectifiers can and often do experience as much as a 50 volt drop/loss across them when the amp their providing HT for is asked to deliver a brief high level dynamic note/sound(think kettle, kick drum, ect.) played from a high quality low or no compressed CD/Pure audio BR/DVD..
Now, some will say the filter cap right after the tube rectifier will/should carry the nominal B+ during those demands, and that can and does happen to "some" extent.
But enough capacitance to properly mitigate is usually limited by the tube rectifier`s maximum allowed capacitance and seems from what I `ve read on AK`s site the modern replacements are even more sensitive to proper rated max cap values and are prone to failure.
And then there is the concern of listening to your tube rectified tube amp, and for unknown reasons the mains blip off & then come back on, and that usually stress` or kill`s the tube rectifier.. Whereas that is of no concern when the amp is properly SS rectified..
The SS conversion when done correctly it can be undone with minimal effort with no damage & no "pecker tracks" evident other than fresh solder at the rect. socket`s connections, should it ever wished to be reversed.
Now days it`s so much easier then it was in 1977( when I did my MC 30`s) to readily convert/ or try out for technical/sonic evaluation.
So back then to test one had to hardwire(solder) in the SS rectifiers.
Now days one can, with the proper rated replacement chassis can cap being replaced,(as it should have been by now !) & the simple insertion of a inrush current limiter Thermistor(CL80) in the 120 volt input inside the amp + change the MC 30`s power transformer`s primary tap over to 125 v to better deal with todays usually higher main`s voltage, one can buy a quality plug in SS rect. to hear for themselves any difference and decide from there.
I don`t know what if any experience you may have or not with working on audio equipment, but I have been professionally repairing (and also professionally FOH mixing live sound) all types of audio equipment since 1974, and don`t go around knowingly putting any stress on any of my customer`s or my own audio gear without testing the crap out of any modifications I might do then or now.
Nobody, so far on this site, that I`ve read yet, has ever seem to understand and or have admitted that "when" these and other tube rectified tube amps were designed, that high voltage SS(both selenium and the newly being developed silicon types starting to appear) that SS rectification was very, very expensive, and in the case of selenium "very bulky" for current carrying & PIV reasons + needing plenty of ventilation.
Whereas tube rectifiers in the late fifties were very cheap, especially when purchased in the large amounts needed for manufacturing.
And had been pretty much perfected, though admittedly wasteful with radiated heat and higher consumption of electricity for the simple conversion of AC to pulsed DC..
I`m not trying to ram "my personal choice" of tube amp rectification down anybody`s throat, just don`t poo, poo what you have not truly and properly tried, because some stellar reputation audio equipment manufacturer watched their company`s bottom line ..
I`m sure some people don`t or won`t like the less dynamically smearing effects of a "faster" responding SS rectified PS tube amp conversion and that`s fine by me.
BTW. SS rectification neither removes, nor adds anything from the original sound source, but merely allows more efficient conversion of the rectification which opens up the dynamics IMHO/E
After all the perception of sound is, and always be subjective and that`s understandable.. To each their own, and always trust your ears.. Take care. Thank you. Regards, OKB
, no they don`t care !
