Switched From Tubes To SS???Glad You Did???


As the title says I'm looking for those who have changed from Tube Front Ends to SS(especially mid level gear)& am wondering if you've been happy with the change,what if anything you miss about tubes & what you've gained by switching to SS.Thanks guys,take care.
freediver
Phaelon...yeah...the different tube sets I've tried all sound great and do have their own little characteristics, but the KT120 has such ease to it I think it does do a more transformitive improvement. I've recently spoken to someone at "thetubestore" and got some really interesting opinions on 12ax7s...recommending a new Chinese select over the new Gold Lions to insure "clarity and accuracy" over "warmth".
I haven't experimented with new small tubes, maybe they have improved, I've only had luck soncially with older tubes, and even among those, pretty selective (the telefunkens seem to be more my cup of tea). I haven't tried any different power tubes in the Lamm ML2 for good reason- it's not really an option. But, interestingly, I've been experimenting with vintage rectifier tubes in my new phono stage, and there are sonic differences among them.
FWIW, I think everything makes a difference in a system, which by definition, is interdependent on each element.
I thought I would update this as I have just removed the Cayin CS-55 tube integrated amp/Micromega MyDAC & installed a near mint,barely broke in Creek Evolution 50a with the Ruby2 DAC board...
It’s only been an hour now but initial impressions are pretty good.Surprised at the imaging & staging,good depth & width though height seems a bit compacted,tone sounds pretty good but drums don’t seem to have that organic tube sound..Where I hear a HUGE difference is when the volume goes WAYYY up,where my tube amp runs out of gas & becomes glassy & hard the Creek amp REALLY loved the volume,pressurizing the 8" woofer & decent size cabinets of the M30.1 monitors like I haven't heard since I bought them...I'm starting to get a good view of SS/Tube systems...
@freediver  glad to hear.

I have been LOVING my Hegel integrated. That said, got the itch for tubes again so I decided to try a Raven Nighthawk MKIII integrated. The manufacturer claims that its 20 watts will sound like 100 solid state watts. I've also read someone replacing their 150 watt SS amp with it.

Well, I didn't have anything remotely close to the same experience. It sounded very anemic and thin compared to the weight and body my Hegel has at "only" 75 watts into 8ohms. Bass was tighter, faster with more grip and went lower.  Everything was better on my Hegel. I'm sure the Raven sounds wonderful on some other systems, but in mine that Hegel was King.