BIAS ADJUSTMENT (Continued)
Some newer amps have LED indicators connected to the circuit which will turn on when the right threshold of current flow has been reached. This is an improvement, and almost worthy if you’re willing to except resistors and lights added into your amplifier’s audio path — which we aren’t. The other “advantage” of this system is that it allows some amp manufacturers to avoid matching their power tubes. The thinking is that adjusting the bias to each tube separately eradicates the inherent differences between the tubes by insuring that the same current flows through each one.
Again, this has some merit .. but it’s still not as good as using tubes that are matched in the first place because compensating for the
Some of the other recommended biasing, “methods” — such as
But don’t these alterations imply that you are
Because every part in every one of our designs has been meticulously evaluated, compared and stressed over — no matter how seemingly insignificant it might be. And with every design we look for a “sweet spot” where all the parameters — including the bias — come together to give the best sonic performance, consistently and reliably. Every part and voltage is important — yet no one complains that these other parameters aren’t available for tinkering.
Consider our patented
Please, don’t think this is a blanket indictment of the other guys selling tubes — it isn’t. And their tubes aren’t all bad either. It just doesn’t make sense to pay more of your hard earned cash for tubes that were probably made in the same Russian or Chinese factory and which have the possibility of being outside the performance window we select for your amp. And it pains us to hear the hype and mystique built up around biasing when
Our rigorously tested and hand selected tubes are available at your nearest Mesa/Boogie Pro Center or from us directly. Nobody offers better price, quality or warranty than we do ... so why swerve?
Next time we’ll talk about our part in developing the great Sylvania STR 415 type 6 6 and how we’re on the verge of seeing something fairly close reappear on the market. Remember, we still have some of these super rugged
Cheers!
Mesa/Boogie Ltd.
Randall Smith
Designer & President
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