Differences in Amp Sound: How Do We Find the Truth?

audioXpress readers are well familiarized with Richard Honeycutt's Hollow State column. In many of his articles, Honeycutt explored distortion in a quest to find the origin of “tube sound.” In this article, he takes a more general view of possible amplifier differences, solid- or hollow-state, focusing on different amplifiers’s differences in sounds, and a correct subjective evaluation process of components and systems. This article was originally published in audioXpress, October 2012.

Once again, audioXpress focuses on loudspeaker building, design, and testing in its September edition. We have three great speaker DIY projects that are certain to inspire our readers, Geoff Hill explains how speaker measurements are evolving under the latest Audio Engineering Society (AES) efforts, and Richard Honeycutt writes about modulation distortion in loudspeakers. We interviewed Crispin Herrod-Taylor, the designer of the amazing SoundBuckets portable speakers, we explain all you need to know about the latest HDMI Enhanced Audio Return Channel (eARC) specification, and Ward Maas tells the story of Infineon's new energy-efficient multi-level amplifiers.

In this edition, learn about Habitat Soundscaping and how biophilic acoustics can cure noise in an open office, get the latest on precise low-frequency absorption, and why you should be exploring acoustic modeling software and simulation apps. Richard Honeycutt writes about sound masking, Christopher Paul explains more on current feedback amplifiers, we report on the High End 2018 show in Munich and Neville Roberts heads to Venice, Italy, to report on a unique live recording experience!

audioXpress July 2018 is one of those editions that we are certain our readers will read, revisit, and keep for reference again and again. Start with the Editor's notes about the search for a sound reference standard, read our review of Sonarworks Studio Monitor and Headphone Calibration Solution, Reference 4, and learn more about microphone choices. Next up, we interview the new owners of Creative Sound Solutions, a DIY-oriented company, and we follow up with the AXPONA 2018 show report. Gerhard Haas concludes his series on audio transformers for tube amplifiers, and Andy Lewis continues his fascinating exploration of Back EMF.

The June 2018 edition of audioXpress is now available. In this edition, read how MPEG-H audio is introducing new dimensions to television sound, how to deal with mixing and mastering music for music streaming services, and how to design new voice-enabled smart gadgets. You can also build a turntable speed measurement device, and learn more about MQA streaming. And be sure to read the interview with Robert Oliveira, the founder of Comply Foam. Get your issue now.

Where do tubes come from? In this article Richard Honeycutt revisits the history of tube electronics, from its early invention to the widespread adoption in radios and television receivers. And because familiarity simplifies tube selection, the article explains where some of the most common tube types can be applied in todays designs on power amplifiers and pre-amplifiers and tube stages. This article was originally published in audioXpress, April 2013 as part of the Hollow-State Electronics monthly column by Richard Honeycutt.

The May edition of audioXpress continues to be a favorite among tube and audio electronics aficionados. For this Glass Audio Special issue, Menno van der Veen, details his fifth 300B-SE amplifier, Patrick Brunner discusses DIY Tube Amp Heat Management, and Gerhard Haas shares what he knows about output transformers for tube amplifiers. We interviewed Jason Stoddard, the heart and mind of Schiit Audio, and Richard Honeycutt compares Tubes, FET, and BJT circuits. Also in this edition, Andy Lewis looks at Back EMF in loudspeakers, and Ron Tipton finds a way to measure the high-frequency content of Master Quality Authenticated (MQA) recordings. Download your May issue now.

In this article, Richard Honeycutt provides a brief description of the main tube types used in audio applications, from triodes to tetrodes and pentodes, describing its uses, features and potential benefits. If you are looking for a quick reference reading about tubes that have been used in audio amplification this article is a great start. This article was originally published in audioXpress, May 2013 as part of the Hollow-State Electronics monthly column by Richard Honeycutt.

The March 2018 edition of audioXpress explores the latest advancements on Test and Measurement solutions and technologies. In this issue, we review G.R.A.S. Sound & Vibration's new RA040X ear simulators, and the IK Multimedia ARC 2.5 room correction system, with its included MEMS-based measurement microphone. We also discuss Measurement Microphones and Measurements for Smart Speakers, and conduct an interview Steve Temme, President of Listen, Inc. Gary Galo and Chuck Hansen pay tribute to the life and accomplishments of Victor Campos (1933-2017), and there is much more in this edition you don't want to miss!

audioXpress February 2018 explores the progress being made by ORA Sound and GraphAudio, two pioneering companies with distinctly different approaches to the use of graphene based transducers. We explain why open reel analog tapes are coming back in force, the differences between Line Source and Point Source speakers, and how Dante Domain Manager is providing an integrated approach to media network management. All this and much more, now available!