Damping factor refers to the amp's ability to pull the speaker back in as well as push it out. Tube power amps have a pretty low damping factor, which means they're great at pushing the speaker out but not so good at pulling it back in. Solid state power amps are better at pulling the speakers back in. This is why you generally get less flubby sound when using sealed cabinets with tube power amps rather than ported cabs, because the speaker being pushed out creates a vaccuum in the sealed cab that automatically pulls the speaker back in.
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