Solid state amp vs tube amps

Anyway a big difference in sound...hard to use "quality" as a measurement of a subjective essence such as sound. 

+1.  They do sound different.  "Quality" may be a subjective term.

@marquis4099 The differences you usually hear have to do with how tubes and traditional class A or AB solid state amps make distortion.

Quite literally the 'sonic signature' of any amp is its 'distortion signature'.

I used the word 'traditional' as there are class D amps now that have a distortion signature much like tube amps do, and unsurprisingly, sound very similar as well- but with greater transparency owing to lower distortion overall.

I use a tube preamplification to help my active speakers...

It work...

But if you think tube/s.s. make a difference and it does, acoustics control of the room had more impact than almost any upgrade improvement... Acoustics does not replace gear design improvement for sure, nothing does; but acoustics control overpower anything else.

I just put a resonator in my room today...

Huge difference when well tuned...The difference in effect of the S.Q. aspects of sound when only one resonator is added at the right place and tuned as it must be , exceed all my other gear change since the begininng of this acoustic corner for near listening...

Here is an interesting article on this subject!

I’m glad this topic finally came up!

But seriously, I’d have to say that while high-quality equipment can definitely improve sound quality, I’ve found that room acoustics have an even greater impact. This includes differences between tube vs. solid state. Don’t get me wrong, good equipment design is still important, but acoustics can significantly influence how you experience sound. In fact, I recently added additional diffusion in my listening room, and after adjusting them properly, the difference in sound quality has exceeded most other gear improvements. There is real power of optimizing room acoustics – it can surpass the benefits of many equipment upgrades.

Once a room is fairly well dialed in, though, at *that* point you have a truly level playing field and any additional changes to gear can be evaluated with more objectivity and confidence.

A key question to you, OP, is whether you have the room as tuned in as it could be? If not, that is the next lever to press.