[skamp]

Done.

 

[ukon16]

 


Here's a graph everyone can understand
 

 

[chewy4]

Quote:

 


Here's a graph everyone can understand
 

...digital amp?
 
What is that from? Please tell me that's a joke...

 

[mikeaj]

Quote:

...digital amp?
 
What is that from? Please tell me that's a joke...

 
"Digital amp" usually refers to so-called amplifier class D, which has high efficiency.  It's essentially like a synchronous buck voltage converter (hence transistors switching on and off to control how energy is delivered, and hence being able to achieve high efficiency) with a lowpass filter at the end so the output waveform looks like the original.  Obviously any one of these for audio purposes is designed such that the distortion ends up low at the output and doesn't normally look like you clipped the signal.
 
 
That picture's a pretty bad joke though.

 

[chewy4]

Interesting, that's the first I've heard of that. Granted I'm sure I've used some. The term just made me think of amplifying a digital signal...
 
Electricity isn't really my strong point, I don't really understand how amps work at that low of a level.

 

[xnor]

Where is this picture from?

 

[ThatNzGuy]

I think Samsung did the same thing.

http://originus.samsung.com/us/2012-vacuum-tube-amplifier/

 

[xnor]

While the Samsung thing is still misleading it's not as utterly absurd as the comparison in the picture above.

 

[bigshot]

Tubes create better harmonies? Wow! Who needs backup singers!

 

[ultrabike]

Quote:

 


Here's a graph everyone can understand
 

 
That is a bit misleading for many reasons. A solid state amplifier does not necessarily imply it is class D, or digital. Solid state transistors (i.e. not tubes) are analog devices.
 
There is a broad class of "digital" amps that may rely on delta sigma theory and solid state transistors, and properly designed they should output a very smooth, round and curvy output signal after an appropriate low pass filter, which removes the "modulated" quantization. However, BJT, MOSFET, JFET, or whatever other transistor one may find laying around alone and sad in the streets are not restricted to class D amplification jobs. Solid state amps can and are used in a class A/B or class A "analog" amplifiers.
 
Another reason that power point presentation is a bit misleading is that it seems to illustrate "soft" vs "hard" clipping of tube and solid state amps. Either sort of clipping results in non-linear behavior and usually sounds amazingly awful. If either (properly designed) amp operates bellow clipping (can provide enough voltage/current/power swing), then plots would look way better than that.
 
Misguidedly and too creatively designed solid state and tube amps have an equal opportunity chance to create craptastic harmonies. Well executed ones (either camp), can be expected to fulfill eargasmic needs.

 

[scuttle]

Quote:

 


Here's a graph everyone can understand
 

 
That's hilarious! It really shows the contempt that marketing people have - quite rightly - for their customers.

 

[xnor]

In other areas companies would get sued but in audio it became the rule to tell/sell customers utter BS. And some even believe/buy it. Quite sad.

 

[SunshineReggae]

I remember wanting to believe it too. I remember ordering a little dot tube amp (it was the first and only dedicated headphone amp i've bought) and being super psyched about finally getting a taste of the fabled tube sound. Little did I know, it would take me a few months of reading things and back and forth listening to find out it simply doesn't exist. "Pleasant distortion", "full sounding mids", "soft highs", "rich harmonics", they said. Jason Stoddard, upon replying to me about my inquiries concerning the Valhalla, even told me about "holographic imaging". I figured there simply must be something going on with those tubes.
 
Eventually, I went with buying a little dot, but all that buying this tube amp made me realize is that my marantz integrated is as good a headphone amp as I'm ever going to get. It also made me understand that the need for a dedicated one is greatly exaggerated.
 
This is no knock on Little Dot by the way; they never waxed poetic about the tube sound and as far as I can tell, it's a fine amp. But the money I spent on it shows its value not in the amp itself but in the knowledge I've obtained since then.

 

[scuttle]

Quote:

In other areas companies would get sued but in audio it became the rule to tell/sell customers utter BS. And some even believe/buy it. Quite sad.

 
On behalf of the entire software industry, I wish to say that we tell MUCH larger lies all the time...