Dad3353 Posted March 11, 2016 Share Posted March 11, 2016 A valve preamp doesn't do the same job as a valve power stage. Pushing an output stage, with its transformers, is not emulated by a valve preamp. Not that a valve preamp is bad at all; it's just not, in itself, a substitute for all-valve. Just my tuppence-worth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roland Rock Posted March 11, 2016 Share Posted March 11, 2016 [quote name='Dad3353' timestamp='1457676052' post='3000826'] A valve preamp doesn't do the same job as a valve power stage. Pushing an output stage, with its transformers, is not emulated by a valve preamp. Not that a valve preamp is bad at all; it's just not, in itself, a substitute for all-valve. Just my tuppence-worth. [/quote] I agree with our esteemed father - a valce pre hybrid amp has much more in common with a solid state amp than a full valve jobby. Where are you Bob the Dog? I have a 100w no name valve amp you could borrow to see if you like them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobthedog Posted March 11, 2016 Author Share Posted March 11, 2016 (edited) I thought the LB30 / CTM30 were all valve? Roland, I am nr Buckingham so a little bit of a drive, but certainly not impossible one weekend. Very kind and thank you. That may be a better option. Edited March 11, 2016 by Bobthedog Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigwan Posted March 11, 2016 Share Posted March 11, 2016 [quote name='Bobthedog' timestamp='1457693321' post='3000975'] I thought the LB30 / CTM30 were all valve? [/quote] They are. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pow_22 Posted March 11, 2016 Share Posted March 11, 2016 They are, the CTM15 is hybrid (and naughtily advertised as All Valve by ashdown) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LewisK1975 Posted March 11, 2016 Share Posted March 11, 2016 [quote name='Pow_22' timestamp='1457695601' post='3001001'] They are, the CTM15 is hybrid (and naughtily advertised as All Valve by ashdown) [/quote] These are the specs in the manual: [attachment=214410:Capture.JPG] How is it hybrid if it has valve input and valve output? I'm really not criticizing your comment, just curious that maybe there are more ways to describe 'hybrid' than I know about... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lw. Posted March 11, 2016 Share Posted March 11, 2016 Actually look inside - it's not an all valve signal path on in the CTM-15's (not seen inside the others). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LewisK1975 Posted March 11, 2016 Share Posted March 11, 2016 Goodness, there was me thinking if you had a valve input and valve output power, you had a valve amp! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taunton-hobbit Posted March 11, 2016 Share Posted March 11, 2016 The older ones on here tend to think that a 'valve' amp is just that, with no fancy electikery & chips stuffed somewhere in the signal chain...good/bad ? That's a user decision - but it should be an informed decision, imo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigwan Posted March 11, 2016 Share Posted March 11, 2016 (edited) [quote name='LewisK1975' timestamp='1457697643' post='3001034'] Goodness, there was me thinking if you had a valve input and valve output power, you had a valve amp! [/quote] Looking at the PCB layout (there are pics online) I VERY much doubt it has a valve input. There are 3 valves on the CTM15. 2 for the power amp (2 EL84, typical for 15 watt amps) and one 12AX7, but it's placement would suggest it's doing phase inverter duty. There's lots of "sand" between the input and the valves... LB30: [attachment=214412:lb30guts.jpg] CTM15: [attachment=214411:ctm15guts.jpg] Edited March 11, 2016 by Bigwan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LewisK1975 Posted March 11, 2016 Share Posted March 11, 2016 [quote name='Bigwan' timestamp='1457699564' post='3001058'] Looking at the PCB layout (there are pics online) I VERY much doubt it has a valve input. There are 3 valves on the CTM15. 2 for the power amp (2 EL84, typical for 15 watt amps) and one 12AX7, but it's placement would suggest it's doing phase inverter duty. There's lots of "sand" between the input and the valves... LB30: [attachment=214412:lb30guts.jpg] CTM15: [attachment=214411:ctm15guts.jpg] [/quote] Thanks Bigwan - Glad that I have class-d. At least we all know what's inside them, or do we? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beer of the Bass Posted March 11, 2016 Share Posted March 11, 2016 Since the ECC83 is a dual triode, if they used a cathodyne phase inverter (which uses one triode) in the CTM15 the other triode could be part of the preamp. Though to have tone controls and enough gain to overdrive the preamp would require more stages than that. If the master volume is after that one triode in the preamp, they may have arranged the gain staging so that any preamp overdrive is coming from the valve, but it would still be more honest to describe it as a hybrid preamp. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Merton Posted March 11, 2016 Share Posted March 11, 2016 (edited) edit - late to the party! Edited March 11, 2016 by Merton Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigwan Posted March 11, 2016 Share Posted March 11, 2016 [quote name='Beer of the Bass' timestamp='1457701139' post='3001087'] Since the ECC83 is a dual triode, if they used a cathodyne phase inverter (which uses one triode) in the CTM15 the other triode could be part of the preamp. Though to have tone controls and enough gain to overdrive the preamp would require more stages than that. If the master volume is after that one triode in the preamp, they may have arranged the gain staging so that any preamp overdrive is coming from the valve, but it would still be more honest to describe it as a hybrid preamp. [/quote] All possible but, as you say, it's CERTAINLY NOT an all valve amp. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pow_22 Posted March 11, 2016 Share Posted March 11, 2016 Where do Ashdown stand on the whole 'false advertising' thing then? Don't get me wrong, im not an ashdown basher (I loved my Spyder 330 and my drophead 200) but how can they continue to list is as all valve? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taunton-hobbit Posted March 11, 2016 Share Posted March 11, 2016 I don't think Ashdown have problem - nowhere do they say 'does not contain additives' they list their valves and leave it at that (apart from the marketing guff). It (allegedly) has valves on the input (eventually?) and on the loud bit..... thus it is a 'valve' amplifier. Whether it's as much a valve amp as my Ormat is debatable.....(imo....exclusions apply) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
afterimage Posted March 11, 2016 Share Posted March 11, 2016 Look for a good serviced sh one a good saving over new a got a Traynor yba200 for five hundred b stock from Thomann 200Watt's nice Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
basskit_case Posted March 12, 2016 Share Posted March 12, 2016 Ashdown's Facebook page had an update recently saying that the lb30 may be brought back into limited production Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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