Tubes? Transistors? Which are better?


It's an audiophile debate: Which are better, tubes or transistors? I have a been a big fan of transistors for a long time, but recent auditions have turned me into a partial tube head. Which tube designs sound best? Do transistors sound better?
uliverc113
Wolcott Amps 0.000 Output Impedance Infinite high damping Contact Hank Wolcott to see if he's correct.
I purchased the Wolcott Amps several months ago. They matched better with my Dunlavy V than any other of the amps auditioned to my taste. I'm looking forward to checking out the Sierra Denali Monos next even though they are sstate
Theory is a wonderful thing. Even a necessary thing if you are a designer. But theory is only useful if it reliably explains/predicts reality. I used to think the theory of tube pre and SS power seemed to make sense. But I tried just about every SS power amp I could get my hands on before reluctantly trying tube amps. I found a tube amp that not only had a better midrange than the SS amps, but outperformed them in the highs and the bass (and on low impedence Thiel and Martin-Logan speakers). Faster bass and more slam than an SS power amp? It didn't fit the theory, but so what? I have now settled on a tube power amp and a solid state preamp - against all my preconceptions, but in tune with the music.
Output impedance isn't theory at all. It perfectly describes the power amp's ability to control the cone motion of a dynamic speaker, which is what I was talking about. I suspect I would like the sound of your system, Redkiwi, but it's possible I could improve on it...Not to diminish the time you spent evaluating, but I forget, do you use room treatments?