How much truth is there to this statement

[Northwinds]

re: Solid State amps, From a discussion about Bob Carver's challenge amp

if you put a 1 to 1.5 ohm resistor in series with the positive speaker lead you will get about 80% of the tube sound right there

Discuss and can this be done to a WOPL if it proves true? Joe?

 

[gadget73]

adding resistance like that decreases the damping factor a fair bit. Tube amps have fairly terrible damping compared to SS, so the resistor will at least get you closer to the damping characteristics of a tube amp. Its a cheap enough experiment at any rate, just use a non-inductive resistor so it doesn't end up acting like a low pass filter before the speaker.

 

[JustMike]

Yep, some to do with damping factor. But most of the "tube sound" is not so much the output tubes as it is the output transformers that give the old amps the signature sound.
A great old transformer (s) like the Western Electric 111c put on the output side of a cd player will give you an old
analog tube sound. Takes the digital hash totally away.

 

[Northwinds]

I just wondered if it would be possible to do, cover the amp and invite a tube snob over LMAO!!! Then have a standard WOPL for a comparison and see if they can hear a difference

 

[gadget73]

possible, sure. Its a cheap enough experiment at any rate. You could A/B it easy enough too, just clip a jumper wire across the resistor to take it out of the equation. No second amp required.

 

[Gepetto]

re: Solid State amps, From a discussion about Bob Carver's challenge amp

if you put a 1 to 1.5 ohm resistor in series with the positive speaker lead you will get about 80% of the tube sound right there

Discuss and can this be done to a WOPL if it proves true? Joe?

/

You can add any series resistance you like between the amp and the speakers. The amp won't care but you may not like the audible result.

 

[laatsch55]

A half shot carbon comp should do it....