Hey Marco!

[tfarney]

Do you have any clues regarding navigation of the Yaqin line? There seem to be a thousand models spread out across a pricing grid designed by a paranoid schizophrenic. I can't make heads or tails of it, but what I need, if it helps, is 10 - 15 watts of clean power. None of this "tubey" (sorry, I guess that would be "valvey") warm&softness. I like that in women, not amps. And when valves aren't warm and soft-ish, what differentiates them from solid state?

Tim

[Filterlab]

Valves haven't been warm and soft for many many years Tim. :)

[Marco]

Too right - if they were I wouldn't be using one! Yaqins certainly don't sound like that.

Tim,

I'll come back to you later :smoking:

Marco.

[Togil]

And when valves aren't warm and soft-ish, what differentiates them from solid state?

Tim

A lot of solid state amps, especially those based on FETs have a very slight grain more noticeable on some speakers than others.

[anthonyTD]

A lot of solid state amps, especially those based on FETs have a very slight grain more noticeable on some speakers than others.

hi hans,
FETS, are in solid\state terms the closest device to valves, and where i cannot use valves for some reason or another i would rather use a FET than a bi-polar, if the circuit is designed right, they should sound better, and have less grainy-ness. the key is to run them quite hard, ie, make them draw current!
anthony...:)

[Togil]

I see... my Mosfet Tandberg amplifier ( can't remember the model number ) sounded great but had that grain and a certain clangyness. Even then some regard it as a classic now.

[tfarney]

The thing that is confusing, is I keep reading things being attributed to valve amps that just do not jive with the specifications. One really good example is people giving valves superior micro dynamics, when the specs give even really good valve amps a higher noise floor than most mid-fi solid state. That doesn't make any sense on paper, so I guess it's time to stop reading about them and listen...

Tim

[Marco]

Tim,

Send a PM to 'tubehunter' (Duncan) on the forum. He's got the smaller Yaqin, which I think has pretty much the exact spec you need. I'm only really familiar with the larger KT88 Yaqin (MC-100B). Duncan will be able to tell you all you need to know :)

Regarding specs for valve amps - ignore them. It's a classic example of measurements being unable to predict how something actually sounds, as I referred to in another thread recently.

The only way to determine how a valve amp sounds (or actual valves) is to listen to them.

Marco.