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AOpen Debuts The Funniest Motherboard Ever
Anonymous Coward X-11 writes "Has AOpen gone flipping nuts by putting vacuum tubes on its motherboards?
AX4B-533Tube
No, it's not replacing logic ICs with discrete components. The tubes are part of the on board audio. Not sure if they are serious about this. April 1 was two months ago." As an owner of a tube headphone amplifier I applaud AOpen's move to accomodate the high-end audio enthusiast, while simultaneous wondering about the ability of a switched psu to properly drive a tube amplification stage cleanly. There's no way this is for real, right? Right? Here's a link that seems to work pretty well. And this looks pretty, well, real. Update: /. reader Jedi1USA noted that HardOCP has more pics of the board.
More heat in my PC Box... that's a top idea. In fact, along with a couple of valves, let's throw in a few radiator elements, then you could have a PC case that you can cook mashmallows on.... mmmm, sweet, sticky goodness.
As a once snobbish, now reformed ex-audiophile, I cannot resist but slip back to the affected, bombastic days of my youth and exclaim "It's about freakin' time! Now when are we going to replace these markedly inferior CD-ROMs and DVD-ROMs with the gloriously mellifluous LP-ROM?"
It uses physical forms actually cut into a vinyl disk to reproduce sound. Rather than a traditional 5 1/4 disk bay it will be a USB 2.0 periperal and look something like these devices. Analog audiophiles rejoice! I play guitar and I do have to say I enjoy the sound of a classic tube amp. I wonder how odd and expensive will it be to say... Uh yeah I need a vacuum tube replacement for my computer.
Still, could be interesting for your HTPC
[Timeout expired]
uh... so it the odbc connection timed out, or the time it allows to timeout expired?
i think [ODBC fuckup] explains it much better.
MARIJUANA, SHROOMS, X: ONLINE?! - E
Compared to a high-end Pentium IV, a vacuum tube probably counts as a heat sink...
"...wondering about the ability of a switched psu to properly drive a tube amplification stage..."
Five volts will make the filament glow nicely. That's all it will take to convince the tube enthusiasts that the sound is better. No need for the tube to actually do anything.
To be somewhat less sarcastic, a small switcher could supply 100 volts or so for the plate, or they could use one of the 12 volt tubes that were developed for car radios.
Warning: this article may contain humor, sarcasm, parody, and perhaps even irony. Read at your own risk.
Now, I was almost ready to buy one of these, GloFET and all, but there's no Firewire. And since that lovely firebottle takes so much room, there are only 3 PCI slots... One for FW, One for the HD tuner, One for Gigabit, One for SCSI... oops, no more slots.
On the flip side, I've never been much for case windows...but this board NEEDS a window!
-Z
You have violated Robot's Rules of Order and will be asked to leave the future immediately.
VACUUM tubes? isn't that the new name for Rambus memory that sucks even more?
--- Metamoderating abusive downgraders since my 300th post.
(Sitting around one day)
Bean counter: "You know, people are only willing to pay about $6 for a soundcard. How can we get back to the good old days when people spent great gobs of money replacing high-priced disposable components?
Engineer: Let's stick a tube in there. Everyone likes the nice fuzzy sound that comes from tubes. Hell, that's why "Turbo Bass" and equalizers are so popular.
Bean Counter: Sounds good, as long as we get the most outlandish design, so they can't just get parts or repairs from anywhere. We want them to come back to us.
Engineer: Got it!
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