Beefing up the sound

[Chip Gelmini]

May be a couple of these will help connected to my Marantz processor.........

[Chip Gelmini]

Hehehe of course it will

[Lee Mannering]

A couple of my 9.5mm sound projectors still have the old valve tube amps in and from them the richness of the sound even now is quite rich in tone particularly the bass.
Perhaps next year I'll have a go at bypassing the main Super 8 amp and make a Valve power amp up from a kit to see what its like.

[Steve Klare]

My dream Home Cinema has two beefy tube amplifiers rack-mounted in the booth. I want to step inside and throw the Big Switch! -wait for that glow to come up and that reassuring transient hum while it does.

-in the colder months I'd warm my hands over them. Summertime would require some generous ventilation.

I want analog meters pulsing up and down. I want red, yellow and green status lights going on and off. (They don't even need to be connected to anything meaningful!) After all: who wouldn't want a Submarine Command Center all their own?! "Prepare to dive and then run the first trailer!"

It is only a dream: we're staying in the house we have at least until I retire and I'm projecting in common space! A booth today would sit roughly where my wife's recliner does, and I just don't see this happening where we are!

Just a tip for any young folk out there buying their first house: hold out for a full basement...you never know what the future will bring!

[Brian Fretwell]

I was told that my local (long time closed) small cinema, that started off silent but had a sound conversion with a loudspeaker extension built, used a 10watt valve amplifier with a horn loaded bass box and a multi-horn tweeter. In my youth I thought that sounded beefy enough with films like Campbell's Kingdom having a dam burst. That would need a very large room to fit though. See photo of it when being demolished for size.

[Chip Gelmini]

[Chip Gelmini]

I had some trouble uploading those images and putting text to them the first photo are the new power amps installed tested and beautiful sound the second shot is my other sound system with external power amps.

[John Burgess]

All my std 8 sound projectors have valve amps, using a quality speaker the results are amazing. Transistor amps do not produce the harmonics , that’s why pop guitarists on stage ALWAYS use valve amps then they are miked through to the mixing desk. That gives each musician total control of the sound they want , at high volumes transistor amps would introduce distortion.I always remember as a youngster going to the pictures (50/60s) , I remember how beautiful and smooth the sound used to be, and I understand the valve amp used were about 30 watts ! Visiting a hi fi shop recently I was treated to a demo of a tube amp costing nearly £1000 , a quality turntable and two excellent speakers. I settled into the sofa and listened to a classical vinyl disc, the sound was breathtaking, never heard orchestral music with such depth and clarity before.
I suppose the argument valve versus transistor will continue , for me I take valves all day!
John

[Ken Finch]

My old Debrie projectors with their push pull 25watt valve amps produced really good quality sound with a very rich tone. I understand the amps are sought after these days by guitarists!! Ken Finch.