General > General Technical Chat
Solid-State TUBES !!
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bob91343:
I have one of those fetrons meant to replace a 12AX7 if I remember correctly.  It is all metal outside and smaller than a tube, with no intent to fool anyone.  I suppose it works, never tried it.
John B:
What's the market for them? Due to the packaging of them, it looks like it's supposed to have aesthetic appeal along with function, so is it aimed at the audio market? If so, that market would be the most likely to keep valves for the reason that they are valves, myself included.

If it was a retrofit to get an old piece of test equipment working, it could be done with a PCB with pins out the bottom or right angle to plug into the existing socket.
Red Squirrel:
This could be a new trend in audiofoolery.  "Built with solid state vacuum enclosed audio grade transistors".  Essentially a transistor inside a vacuum tube with an actual vacuum.  The vacuum could somehow be said to affect the performance of the transistor by providing it a consistent atmospheric environment, or some wizbang theory like that.  :-DD
Cyberdragon:

--- Quote from: james_s on April 12, 2020, 07:32:28 pm ---Some tubes such as power rectifiers are easily replaced with solid state, others are much harder. I recall there having been several attempts at making solid state tube replacements but only a few types had any real success. While they perform similar functions, the characteristics of tubes and transistors are just too different in many ways to make a direct substitution work.

I think it's largely kind of pointless anyway though. I mean if you want solid state gear just buy solid state gear, it's cheaper anyway.

--- End quote ---

The original FETrons weren't meant to fool anyone. But these fake tubes with the terribly painted on "getter" just are just for hipster audiophile wannabes (or potentially audiophools as mentioned). These also seem a lot more dangerous. With tubes if something goes wrong it gets hot and eventually burns out, with this crap is seems like one problem and BANG! :-BROKE, total carnage, goodbye to itself and any transformers if the FETS short due to improper bias or internal failure.
GlennSprigg:

--- Quote from: 6h8c on April 12, 2020, 07:23:11 pm ---Personally, I am against such substitutes. It's like choosing a cheap wine instead of Château Margaux from 1787

--- End quote ---

'Wine' like most things in life is very SUBJECTIVE...   8)
I personally am NOT a fan of 'vintage' French/Italian wines. And I'm not talking about the taste of Toe-Nail clippings and uncontrolled Toe-Jam Fungai in their home-stomped 'vinegar'/bowel-clensers!!   ;D ;D
I know such 'tubes' are not for everyone, especially for serious 'restorers', but when someone wants to just 'plug-in' a replacement without historical genuine parts to make something work, then the alternatives are there.
MY 'reds' are full-bodied, dark, black-currant flavored, with no sharpness...  You can drink your own poison  :-+
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