Matched Pair, Matched Quad...Necessary?

[MWalt]

Please educate me. Why would one need to get a matched quad if the amp (Yaqin MC-10L) the tubes are to be used in has individual bias adjustment for each power tube ?

 

[tcdriver]

Please educate me. Why would one need to get a matched quad if the amp (Yaqin MC-10L) the tubes are to be used in has individual bias adjustment for each power tube?

One never needs matched tubes, however, to get the best performance from a tube amplifier matched tubes are a definite plus. Having individual bias for each tube will allow for a DC balance to be achieved for a given line input voltage. However, as the line voltage changes unmatched tubes may not track as well as a matched pair. Additionally, while matching the DC bias is good, having AC matching will reduce distortion. The AC matching / balance will not necessarily be right just because the bias is matched.

 

[MWalt]

OK. Got it. Thanks.