Any benefit to using Tube Rectifier over SS Rectifiers?

I was curious if there was any actual benefit to using rectifier tubes, over plain silicon rectifiers. I'm not too sure I believe the audiophoolery saying that tube rectifiers "sound" better. But is there any other functional benefit, other than driving up the electricity bills and making my furnace jealous?

Also, can all rectifier tubes just be replaced with silicon rectifiers?

valve rectifiers don`t have a 0.6v turn on voltage so you don`t get the switching action as each diode turns on. However it is easy to get round this with silicon diode by shunting them with a cap.

Also, can all rectifier tubes just be replaced with silicon rectifiers?

Click to expand...

Yes, but valve rectifier drop a bit more voltage than the silicon diodes, & you will find with the same transformer your HT voltage will sit up a bit more. Again, this can be got round using a dropper resistor to dump the extra voltage & a cap to hold the voltage steady.

Typically less RF switching noise as the rectifier turns off and on.

Also, the tube rectifier takes a while to warm up, which means the other tubes don't get high voltage until their filaments are already warm, which can help prevent cathode stripping.

Be cautious about direct replacement of tube rectifiers with solid state; since the solid-state ones drop less voltage across the rectifier, your DC voltage will be higher, and can exceed the rating of the filter cap, particularly when line voltage is high. Put in a dropping resistor if necessary.

Peace,
Paul

ethan-

whats your application? They sound different, it all depends on what you are after. I cant much tell the difference between solid state and tube at the bottom of the power demand of whatever device you are using, but at the top its night and day. In a guitar amp, for instance, a 5y3 for instance will make the amp go as loud as its gonna go up to say 7. After that its all compression and sag from the rectifier. This doesnt happen with a solid state rectifier, or at least it doesnt translate to my ear as that, as you go past 7 on the volume with a solid state rectifier, the volume increase is way more linear and you get more distortion and no where near the same quality of compression. And its big compression Im talking about here. In a tube mic power supply its the same thing. If you take a singer and have him totally lay into a mic with a tube rectifier, I notice the mic absorbs much more level before clipping completely and have always written this off to the sage from the rectifier. Im sure there is audiophile stuff and other reasons for comparison, but from a practical standpoint, this is the one issue where I find the two to have the most useful difference. Sometimes you want a more linear top, sometimes you dont.

dave

Depends on the app. In a git amp, vac rect provides nice sag/compression depending on type. Some people don't want this, some do.

Warm up will be same as other tubes so no benifit unless using GZ34 cathode.

The last thing you want in a mic pre is bad regulation, but sag is not an issue in a low current app like a pre.

5y3, cheap, romantic, no sw noise= rect of choice .

Hey, 5y3 phantom! now were onto something! :guinness:

from Ethan:

I was curious if there was any actual benefit to using rectifier tubes, over plain silicon rectifiers. I'm not too sure I believe the audiophoolery saying that tube rectifiers "sound" better. But is there any other functional benefit, other than driving up the electricity bills and making my furnace jealous?
Also, can all rectifier tubes just be replaced with silicon rectifiers?

Click to expand...

tubes are sexy!
and as we as overheated Diyers get only the mighty hotty called solderstation to hold, that ain't nothing to little to care about.
Silicons are surrogates I was told and only good for makeup purposes :roll:

Maybe i should go to sleep a little earlier this week :twisted:

Just to throw my .02c in..... if it helps any. I think the valve rectifier gives off a stack of noise to sensitive components if it's not placed right. But other than the sag/compression, I could never hear the difference in tone between a silicon rect or a valve. It may be that a bridge rectifier is a little cleaner, as opposed to a full wave with just the two diodes. I think Fender may have used just the 2 diodes because it let more warmth (noise) through.

In my younger days, I could hear a switching sound when the bias used some sort of controller to fix the bias. Mock me freely but a tech was surprised and tried me out. Maybe the technology is far more advanced now.... or maybe I've become an old fart. I have trouble hearing the alarm clock.

Oh yeah, there are the solid state subs which have a built in circuit to emulate the sag. You can choose which valve rectifier you want to emulate. They're a direct plug in, and I think they keep the voltage close to what it's supposed to be...... but they cost a lot for what they are.

Tube rectifiers also have (well some do) soft starts, so they do not put out the high voltage instantly. No worries about people not useing standby switches. Then again, I never install standby switches in the first place.

adam

A 5Y3 will usually warm up quicker than the rest of your tubes, so no soft start benifits due to the directly heated cathode.

GZ34 has indirect cathode = soft start, but big bucks for a true Mullard, but it will last you a lifetime.