What is the point?!!

[SteveC]

http://www.aopen.com/products/mb/Pax4b-533tube.htm

Onboard Audio...... from 1970!

[The PIT]

Well guys with a window in the side of the case will have something else to look at.

[Gurm]

Well, much as tubes DO have a nice sound, a single tube that is small enough to NOT melt the motherboard... has no purpose inside a PC. Just for show, folks.

- Gurm

[Technoid]

This has already been debated quite thorugly....

[Gurm]

Yep.

Just racking up the posts. I have a reputation to maintain, posting on every topic with which I have at least a passing familiarity.

- Gurm

[rubank]

Don´t worry Gurm,

you´re reputation precedes you.



rubank

[impact]

Id hit it. *thumbs up*

[az]

This soooo sucks.

AZ

[Elie]

I don't know about you guys, but Tube amps back in the old days sounded so much nicer than todays junk.

Tube sound provide a warm clean sound that not everybody likes but those that appreciate it, will buy this motherboard.

The only problem I see is that the tube itself is like a fuse, it will burn out eventually and will require replacing, so you can image the maintanence

If you know the Macintosh brand amplifiers that are worth thousands of dollars still use Tubes today.


Regards,
Elie

[xortam]

I don't think anyone disputed the benefits of tube amps Elie. The disdain is for this particular application.

[Gurm]

Elie,

The problem is that... this tube is for show.

You need one per channel (at least), right? So you're already short one... unless the board has onboard 5.1, in which case you're short 5. Add to that the fact that to produce even a few watts the fuse would get so hot that it would MELT the board.

- Gurm

[Elie]

Gurm, you bring up a good point, because temperature will be an issue, unless it's a new type of design that doesn't require alot of current or wattage so heat may not be an problem?

Don't know about the needing two tubes for stereo, I'll look into that.

Regards,
Elie

[Technoid]

It's still just a gimick

[xortam]

I can dig up a good AVS thread on this topic if you're really interested in rehasing this again.

[rubank]

Originally posted by Elie
...Tube sound provide a warm clean sound...
Regards,
Elie

Warm, yes.
Clean, no.
The reason many tube amps have a "nice and warm" sound is that they produce a lot of harmonic distorsion and have lousy transient response. It´s like old Ektachrome slides - they have so rich and warm colours, better than life.

Many tube amps do sound really nice, but there´s no such thing as a rule to that effect. And "nice" might not be the objective with sound reproduction.

You could design a transistor amp to sound like a tube amp, but to what point? There´s a meaning to the phrase "high fidelity" and tube amps come in short in that respect.

rubank