So who will be the first to install this with an Empeg?



Link to store where you can buy it

Well, you can already get tube-based car audio amps. Just harder to see the actual valve than having it presented on your dash.

Or the old school analog level meters! Those look like they came out of a reel-to-reel.

I'm betting the tube is completely ornamental -- not actually part of the output chain. Sure does look pretty (retro), though.

Cheers

I remember someone linking to this product about two years ago (ie, this is way-old news). I don't recall if the tube was part of the output stage or not....

Yeah, they probably use it as part of a power supply for something relatively minor, entrusting sound quality (where it matters) only to solid state chips and the like. I don't think tubes would be my first choice in a (electrically) noisey car environment, but hey..

Cheers

Alledgely you can tell when it's on because everything sounds "warmer".[snip] There is an option to bypass the tube

Bypass... as in when you are tired of the tube-caused distortion that provides the "warmer" sound...

Maybe I'm just an anarchist at heart or something, but I'll take accuracy over the false warmth provided by tube amps. Besides, if I want more warmth, I'll just press the rocker switch that runs the motorizied voltage splitter that controls the input level of the amp that drives my 6.5" door speakers and bring the output of that amp up a bit (leaving the other four amps alone) and presto! More warmth. More brightness? Do the same thing with the switch for the center channel amp that drives a 4" coaxial speaker with titanium dome tweeter.

See attached .gif file for a signal path diagram of my system.

tanstaafl.

Hunh! What happened to my attachment.

Let's try this again....


Yes, that's better. Click on the picture to get the button that lets you expand it to full size so it looks pretty....

tanstaafl.