2. amps-preamps
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solid state vs tubes

has anyone compared a tube amp to a solid state amp and discovered that the diffference sonically between them was undetectable. ? if so what was the tube amp and what was the solid state amp ?

the reason for the question is the basic issue of the ability to distinguish a tube amp from a solid state amp.

this is especially interesting if the components were in production during the 90's , 80's or 70's.

if the components are in current production the probability of such aan occurrence might increasea.

why own a tube amp if there exists a solid state amp that sounds indistinguishable from it ?
mrtennis
pubul57
3,712 posts
 
I would imagine the amps are not the primary bottlenecks to recorded music sounding real, and no amount of progress in the amp arena is going to make a big difference in that direction. That is ok though, I can't listen to Coltrane at the club down the block.
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ferrari
617 posts
 
When I got started in this hobby in 1957it was all tubes, plus mono to boot. As far as I am concerned I will never return to tubes, 20 years with putting up with the constant need for biasing, have a sock drawer full of replacement tubes, plus the cost of the tubes. Back then tubes were cheap and U.S. made , not now. Tubes made in some third world country of dubious value, no thanks. When Nelson Pass finally got SS right in 1977, I couldn't wait to bail out of tubes and I did and never looked back. But thats me and I know that a great many of you just love them little glow bottles, more power to you, as for me never again.

I go into shops now with the newer tube gear and I can't even listen to it now, soft and mushy, just as I knew from years ago, not much has changed but the price of course, gad what some of the tube gear costs now is insane. Plus the re-tube costs a year or so later, that will get you bleeding from the ears in no time.

My best advice accept SS for what it does and does not do and the same holds true for tube gear. There is no holy grail here pick the one that your ears and wallet can live and get on with the music. In the final analysis it is about the music and not so much the gear.
dklk
38 posts
 

I guess this question will be asked forever. In my experience tubes and SS do sound different. But, I have had tube amps that sound close to SS and SS that sounds close to tubes. Having said that, I have never owned a SS amp that can give the 3D imaging of a tube amp. I have never owned any ultra expensive equipment thou. Maybe there is some SS out there that do.
shay123
72 posts
 
I am a solid state guy because some things solid state does most tube amps cant do. Also solid state is much more reliable and cheaper to buy. I have heard tube amps that I like The Lamm being one of them but they are usually prohibitively expensive. Also the newer the tube amps the more likely they will have some solid state character so it is very possible that u can not tell the difference between them.
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