Are 2 amplification stages better as well as 1 stage with low plate voltage?

Note: These are rough lines.


When connecting a microphone, 1 stage of amplification be it electron tube, JFET or bipolar transistor is very linear. Class A operation means electrons are flowing all the time. The signal is small and the transfer characteristic is very linear. Like the earth being flat for small travels.


1 stage may sound uninteresting or lacking juice.


2 cascaded stages can be better, see for example V72. EMI has the attenuation possibly in the form of a constant impedance attenuator between mic and V72. This avoids overloading of the preamp at any signal. See REDD consoles used at Beatkes era. An Altec electron tube preamplifier has a potentiometer between the 2 stages to avoid overload when large acoustic signals are used. See also Pleiades V5 2 stage EF183 without any attenuation. It is normally not needed, it is usually used with vocals. But drums are nice too, Grampian ribbon mic was tried.


With 2 JFET stages with no attenuation it is borderline. 3 stages and too much distortion.


With 3 electron tube stages (without attenuation anywhere except after output so that the signal can be safely applied to something else) there is tube distortion but too much of it.


And how about one stage with an electron tube running at 1.2V at plate? It fact it sounds very nice and big. See last days posts. Could another reason be the following?


If a second stage is used and say it is supplied by 50V and has a gain of 50... One volt would be needed at the input to make the output aproach the supply rail which cannot be exceeded. So the signal is trimmed but in a non abrupt, gradual way since this is an electron tube. Instanteneous peak limiting?


One stage of amplification with 1V supply at plate is possibly already doing it equivalently.


A further advantage may be that it is just one stage that is fed generously. So there is low order overtone production. 2 stages may to some extent produce the overtones of the overtones.


The Pleiades V6 with Nuvistor 2DV4 electron tube operates in a too good to be true way with just a 1.2V battery. (Caution: always use a suitable fuse in series with any battery for safety).