Questions that make you feel old.

[dalesys]

...for every 100 watts, a tube amp gets louder by 4dB...

Midorikawa, you'll want to re-research this. db is a non-linear relationship.

db = 10 * log(powerA/powerB)

120W vs 20W => 7.8db difference
5000W vs 20W => 24db difference

With the same speaker efficiency: (electrical watts to acoustical watts)
"Standard" listener just barely able to tell that A is louder/softer than B => 3db (2 * power).

"Standard" listener that A is twice as loud/soft than B => 10db (10 * power).

so:
1000W is 2 * as loud as 100W
1000W is 4 * as loud as 10W
1000W is 8 * as loud as 1W
1000W is 16 * as loud as 100 mW
1000W is 32 * as loud as 10 mW
1000W is 64 * as loud as 1 mW

Been pissed at audio salesdims for > 40 years trying to lie that "Yup yup yup. This hyar 52W hampliber is moron twicet as loud es thet piddly little 25W goober."

Speaker power conversion efficiencies range from roughly 30% (exponential horns) on down, with many small/modern speakers being << 1%, so yeah the speaker is "Rated" at 1000W (the voice coil won't play flash bulb) but 999W of that leaves as heat.

[Midorikawa]

Midorikawa, you'll want to re-research this. db is a non-linear relationship.

I'm aware of that. I always thought that the output transformer in general took care of a lot of the volume difference you'd otherwise see, as a transistor based unit doesn't have an output transformer, or as simple of a circuit as tube based. In general, wattage isn't the only thing that can affect volume. Amperage and voltage can as well, although, to prevent letting the 'magic smoke' out, you wouldn't want to run 12A/120V into the speaker coil. :-P

[cinema guy]

I was in high school. We had a German exchange student who brought in a piece of the wall.

I have a piece of the Wall. From when it was still standing.

[protege]

I have a piece of the Wall. From when it was still standing.

Several of my dad's students...are too young to remember the Wall. They can't remember the fanfare when it came down. To them, Germany has always been united. But, maps with East and West now look a bit odd to me, I'm not sure why.

[lobo94]

Being asked my thoughts on the new "V" when I remember the original. I don't think Monica has anything on Diana as far as being evil.

[Jester]

I have everything on vinyl from Avenged Sevenfold to an original pressing of Shostakovich's 11th symphony.

I don't know if it's because I'm too old or too young, but I haven't the foggiest idea what either of those are.

Yes, I am guessing the second one is classical music, but my mother is a classical music fan, and I grew up with it, and know some of it....and that name doesn't ring even the vaguest of dinner bells for me. The first one? Just as clueless, except I don't even know what genre that might be.

And no, don't feel the need to tell me....was just pointing out that it's not always about age.

Culture Club (shut up)

Wait....do you REALLY think we can let THAT ONE go? Oh, no no no, my friend. That is worthy of a sound mocking.

(points and giggles at Cutenoob and the Culture Club LP)

Too....damn....funny!

"Do you really want to hurt me....?"

YES!!!!

(searches for a baseball bat....)

I have a piece of the Wall. From when it was still standing.

I remember when I was passing through Rapid City, South Dakota in the summer of 1999, they were having a Berlin Wall exhibit in a local park, with a couple of full-sized sections of the Wall on display. (Apparently they were touring the country for such exhibits.) Being the history guy that I am, and this having been a relatively recent event (8 years isn't so long, ya know), I just had to get pictures. And once I finished getting pictures of the Wall sections themselves, I then had to get a picture of ME with the Wall.

I waited 15 minutes in that damn park until someone came along. Luckily for me, they were nice enough to oblige my request and took said picture.

But, maps with East and West now look a bit odd to me, I'm not sure why.

Probably because it's been nineteen years or so since Germany reunited?

Even if you grew up with something, you can still recognize it as dated.

I give you Cutenoob's Culture Club LP as a prime example.

[Chromatix]

I'm aware of that. I always thought that the output transformer in general took care of a lot of the volume difference you'd otherwise see, as a transistor based unit doesn't have an output transformer, or as simple of a circuit as tube based.

The output transformer is only to match the impedances of the valves and the speakers, and to remove DC bias which tends to linger on the valve terminals and is *extremely* bad for speaker coils. Speakers have a very low impedance (usually 8 ohms), and transistor amps also have a very low output impedance when designed properly. The power transmitted through the transformer doesn't change.

With the same speakers, 120W is 120W whether it comes from a valve or a transistor.

Now the difference in tone, I'll grant you. Since you're using it as a guitar amp, the tone of a valve system is important, and difficult to emulate. For a final playback system, however, transistors are clearly the better choice.

[Mishi]

My parents have been staying with us, and I accidentally made them feel old over breakfast this morning. Dad made mention of Kimby's and I asked "What's a Kimby? Is that Gumby's girlfriend?"

Turns out that they were one of the first brands of disposable nappies on the market.

[lordlundar]

From Jon Stewart on Monday:

"What's parachute pants?"

[Treasure]

I have a piece of the Wall. From when it was still standing.

When i went to Las Vegas for my 21st we went to Main Street Station (downtown) b/c they have a piece of the wall, in the men's room, where the urinals are mounted actually, [and while i "laid hands on history" i did so as far up as i could reach! (it is a men's room in Vegas after all)]

[Jester]

"Which birthday is this?"

That is what I kept hearing yesterday. And that made me feel old.

How the FUCK am I 40?

[Magpie]

How the FUCK am I 40?

Well, you see, 40 years and 266 days ago your mommy and your daddy loved each other very much, and...

[Jester]

Well, you see, 40 years and 266 days ago your mommy and your daddy loved each other very much, and...

I am capable of much violence, you know.

[tollbaby]

Oh come on, that was genius I bow down to thee, Magpie

[Magpie]

I am capable of much violence, you know.

Ah, but I am a woman and not related to you. Hmmm... I should go and check if it's violence that I'm safe from by abusing that, or if it's just being hit...