From: info@turneraudio.com.au   
      
   On Tuesday, 6 November 2012 11:31:56 UTC+11, Phil Allison wrote:   
   > "John L Stewart" > > Phil has shown us that the harmonic content of the amp   
   he has for repair > varies quite a bit as the power level is changed. ** Duh   
   !! The percentage goes up with output level. You cannot stop paraphrasing a   
   false characterising -    
   can you ? > I would not depend on > curvature correction as a cure for amp   
   distortion. ** Pompous bullshit and a classic " straw man " fallacy. > The THD   
   may go down > but what about the higher order harmonics & IM? ** Converting a   
   lot of 2H into a small    
   amount of 3H can only be good. > It has been shown by many tests that these   
   are the objectionable > components in the reproduced > sound. ** Blah, blah,   
   blah.... Another fuckwit "straw man" fallacy. 10% 2H distortion ( as seen with   
   many SET amps)    
   represents a HUGE amount of IM with a complex wave - maybe as much as 50%.   
   Reduces music to purest mud. .... Phil   
      
   The very worst designs of SE amps generate 10% 2H at 1dB below clipping.    
   The best SET amps maybe make 4% at -1dB. This is without GNFB. Using adequate   
   GNFB of say 12dB and using average PO limited to < 1/10 of the clipping PO   
   means N&D are usually tolerable at least, and below limits of audible   
   perception by most ppl. But    
   when used with horn loaded speakers the SET performs with typical PO averaging   
   1/100 of clipping PO, ie, say 0.2Watts out of a possible 20W. Since Dn reduces   
   with Vo, it sounds OK.    
      
   In many past long tortuous arguments here and especially at aus.hi-fi there   
   were those who could never grant any SET amp hi-fi status, and they labelled   
   SET amps as illitimate, ie, bastard audio products. The loudest and most   
   stubborn accusers of SET    
   amps tended to have incomes derived from selling solid state gear, and they   
   were never ever to agree the purchase of an SET amp was sensible in any way -   
   bad for business. But despite the flames the SET amp buyers have kept on   
   buying SE amps. They    
   refused to accept they ever needed more than a few watts of triode power.   
      
   I have heard fabulous music from SET amps when used wisely and sensibly. But   
   There is no point comparing one lone 300B making 8 piddly watts to say a 100W   
   SS amp when both are tried at very loud levels with speakers rated for   
   88dB/W/M. Horses for courses.   
       
   Patrick Turner.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)