In defense of Dave_b here, I understand what he has written. As a tube diehard here, I have owned many tube preamps (ARC SP-10, LS5, BAT P10/31SE, Aesthetix Io/Callisto Sig) in the last 25 years that did indeed have a layer of grain and haze compared to the ultimately transparent solid state models that I have heard: Krell, Mark Levinson, klyne, Spectral. But these solid state products tend to be dimensionally flat compared to the tube products I have listed. But the above tube products had a level of musical realism that the sterile solid state products could not match.
No matter how "transparent" the sound may be, if the notes are instantly truncated and the harmonic overtones die rather quickly as well, I am not interested. Every time I have tried another preamp (line stage) in my system, I go for piano music. And then I run upstairs to hit a few keys on the piano. It's amazing and quite sad at how many line stages, tube products included, fail this test. But a few tube products nail it unlike any solid state line stage I have tried. And this is why I still have no tolerance for a solid state preamp. Surely there must be one that stands out from the crowd, but I have not heard it.
As for the issue of getting a preamp that excells in the 3D and clarity departments, my quest is over with the Aria WV. The other products I owned are quite a ways back from this performance. And with a little effort with trying various tubes in the line and phono stages and the PS, this product can be taken to a whole new level or performance than its stock EH/Sovtek tubes.
With tube products, and a lot of effort and patience, I can tune the system to my priorities and to the room to achieve a great balance of tonal coherency, dynamic contrasts and 3D. With solid state products I am stuck with the sound of the base product. At best I can move the speakers around or use cables as tonal bandaids to integrate the system to the room. But I have little to no control of the dynamics or dimensionally.
Knowing what I found out about tube variety, I will not buy amps, and preamps. The cost is just too high.
This is total nonsense. Trying a budget product and giving up on tubes because of a few problems is hardly a valid reason to dismiss tubes wholeheartedly. I have discovered a number of small signal tubes in the $30-50 per pair that quite easily destroy tubes selling these days at $500 or more. But it takes a well built product to show the strengths and differences.
