[Amps] Panasonic tube radio

[Rob Atkinson, K5UJ]

My dad would be getting a laugh about this if he were alive as he would 
recall the days when all car radios were tube radios, hi.

I have to admit I employ a tube mic preamp on phone and to my ears it really 
does sound better.  The hybrid audio gear defeats the purpose of tubes not 
only because some of the components are SS but also because usually the 
plate voltage on the tube(s) is too low to get the tubey sounding benefits.  
Now that tubes have this cachet among audiophiles, regular humdrum tube 
circuits are costing 10 or 20 times more than they ought to.  I have a 
couple of old all-tube mw bc receivers I picked up at a flea-market for 
about 5 bucks each.  If they were modern they would probably sell for $200.

I wonder about another benefit of audio tube gear in a high RF location--the 
avoidance of RFI from SS diode type rectification.  I have a pair of 
computer speakers in the shack that are unuseable when I transmit because 
they are in cheap plastic unshielded enclosures and one cabinet contains a 
10 w. ss amp to boost the sound card audio and drive the speakers.  This 
thing rectifies RF and goes crazy when I transmit.  I have thought about 
buying a small all tube guitar amp to use in its place on the theory that 
the diode rectification prob. would go away.  Does this seem like a good 
idea? I've tried ferrite cores and shielding--all no gud.
tnx
rob/k5uj

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