Are all Watts the Same ??? :)

[Driver_King]

Originally Posted by Strannix136

That's not what he's asking. As for qaulity, that depends on the transistors used, the coupling capacitors used between amp stages and tone circuits, the power transformer, voltage regulators, connectors, etc. Not to mention, the voltages used to bias the transistors. But all of that is beyond the scope of his question.

That's why I linked him to my cousin's website. He explains all that.

[Driver_King]

I'd prefer to have 15 quality watts over 100 garbage watts.

[BluLobsta]

Originally Posted by Driver_King

I'd prefer to have 15 quality watts over 100 garbage watts.

Yes, Ted Nugent, Jimi Hendrix and Jimmy Page excluded

[Big Daddy]

Originally Posted by SQBubble

I'm with you on everything but... about the S/N ratio, the higher the number = the better it is, generally, but shouldnt be too concerned about this fact.

this is a good site that explains it well...:

http://www.bcae1.com/sig2nois.htm

You are absolutely correct. I will fix it. I should have read over my own writing more carefully. That is the reason why I should get more sleep.

[Big Daddy]

Originally Posted by Driver_King

I'd prefer to have 15 quality watts over 100 garbage watts.

I searched my garbage today and couldn't find any watts.

[Johnny Vinyl]

Someone stressed me with a lot of watt-ifs today! Does that count?

[Squozen]

Originally Posted by Lucy Diamond

I'm not sure if the same technology is used in Home audio as in Guitar equipment.

From my experience, a 100watt tube amp will completely crush a 300 watt solid state amp.

That is because tubes and transistors overload differently. A tube distorts in a musically-pleasing way, allowing you to increase the volume (while also increasing distortion) without it sounding horrible. A heavily-overdriven tube amp sounds warm and creamy, whereas a transistor amp sounds like it's falling down a stairwell.

[richteer]

Originally Posted by Squozen

That is because tubes and transistors overload differently. A tube distorts in a musically-pleasing way, allowing you to increase the volume (while also increasing distortion) without it sounding horrible. A heavily-overdriven tube amp sounds warm and creamy, whereas a transistor amp sounds like it's falling down a stairwell.

Right. Tubes tend to overload with even-order harmonic distortion, whereas transistors (and there solid state brethren) overload with odd-order harmonic distortion.

Given the same measurement criteria, a watt is a watt.

[Big Daddy]

That pleasing sound of tube amplifiers is partly due to a lower damping factor than solid state amplifiers.

[saprano]

Originally Posted by KCLARK

http://forum.ecoustics.com/bbs/messa...79/109138.html

Incidentally, if you'd like a kind of immortality, be terribly clever and work out a system of measurement. It may be named after you. The "decibel," one tenth of a bel and named for Alexander Graham Bell, recognizes his contributions to the understanding of sound. Likewise, we have to thank James Watt, Georg Simon Ohm, and Heinrich Hertz for their contributions to the industry. And then there's the Lofft, a measurement of neighbors' tolerance to testing new speaker systems . . .

wow! i had no clue these were named after people.

[crazyBLUE]

Originally Posted by Big Daddy

I searched my garbage today and couldn't find any watts.

[crazyBLUE]

Originally Posted by Strannix136

In college, we never learned the difference between quality watts and garbage watts. You obviously have no tech knowledge whatsoever.

[crazyBLUE]

bump!!

[fupduk2]

What?

[BluLobsta]

Well, since this thread has degenerated into a discussion on amplifier distortion (not a bad thing by any means), here is a decent, fairly technical description of tube and transistor distortion(clipping):

Soft clipping is a very important aspect of tube sound especially for guitar amplifiers, although a HiFi amplifier should not normally ever be driven into clipping. A tube amplifier will reproduce a wave relatively linearly to a point, and as the signal moves beyond the linear range of the tube (into overload), it distorts the signal with a smooth curve instead of a sudden, sharp-edged cutoff (or even ringing and/or lockup) as occurs with transistors. The harmonics added to the signal are of lower energy with soft clipping than hard clipping. However, soft clipping is not exclusive to tubes, it can be simulated in transistor circuits (below the point that real hard clipping would occur).

Note also that tube circuits often have huge headroom (overload) margins due to the high voltages they run from, so hard clipping is in reality very rare in a tube stage itself. However core saturation in the output transformer may be "designed in" to some guitar amplifiers when driven hard, and/or the tube biasing may be designed so that the tube passes from class AB1 to class AB2 and starts to draw grid current etc.

Circuit design may also play an important role in the tube sound; tube circuits are often less complex and laid out differently. It is argued that simplicity is usually best, as the length and complexity can change the inductance and capacitance of a circuit. A more complex circuit will have a more complex sonic distortion characteristic. Minimalist DH-SEs for example typically have a dominant very simple harmonic distortion spectrum. Complex modern transistor designs often have low level but extremely complex harmonic distortion spectra.

Source: Wikipedia

P.S. I really miss school now *cry* Work sucks (don't tell my boss )

[prerich]

Originally Posted by Strannix136

In college, we never learned the difference between quality watts and garbage watts. You obviously have no tech knowledge whatsoever.

I think what he's trying to say is an amplifier that's rated at 15 watts conservatively is better than an amplifier rated at 100 watts (with high Harmonic distortion levels, poor S/N ratios ect.). A well constructed 15 watt amp is better than a poorly constructed 100 watt amp.

[amtctt]

Some Watts are totally different...like these Watts:


vs.

[BluLobsta]

Originally Posted by amtctt

Some Watts are totally different...like these Watts:


vs.

LOL...yes I think I would rather wake up next to Naomi

[Big Daddy]

Originally Posted by Strannix136

In college, we never learned the difference between quality watts and garbage watts. You obviously have no tech knowledge whatsoever.

You can disagree with someone without being so hostile and insulting. Just because you did not learn it in college doesn't mean anything. I didn't learn about Paris Hilton in college, but unfortunately she does exist.

It is very easy to define Quality Watts and Garbage Watts:

• Manufacturers that list peak watts instead of continous watts = Garbage Watts
• Watts at high distortion levels (distortion is listed in small prints in a footnote) = Garbage Watts
• Continuous watts at low distortion levels with all channels running = Quality Watts

[Lucy Diamond]

Originally Posted by Squozen

That is because tubes and transistors overload differently. A tube distorts in a musically-pleasing way, allowing you to increase the volume (while also increasing distortion) without it sounding horrible. A heavily-overdriven tube amp sounds warm and creamy, whereas a transistor amp sounds like it's falling down a stairwell.

Right...what you are referring to (as far as listening experience) are called even order Harmonics. That however would not explain why a 100watt tube amp is waaaaaaay louder then a 300watt solid state amp.

I do believe it has something to do with current usage and draw. Current in a tube (guitar) amp is store and released (or fired) when you hit the strings (which is why you can FEEL the difference in certain transformers). The current is steady and therefore nonreactive in a solidstate.

hmmmmmmm.

By the way...do you play??? I only ask, because I have only ever heard fellow musicians use the term CREAMY to describe sound.

either way, bring the rock man.

Catch you on the flipside and if you are on PSN, add me LucyDiamond777