A tubes vs. Solid State question.

Here is the un-varnished truth: At the very high-end of audio, a vacuum tube, properly implemented, is an inherently superior and more natural sounding amplification device than a transistor (for many of the reasons already stated and more).

Unfortunately there are enough highly colored, high distortion, poor quality tube designs to make any blanket statements about "tube amplifier" superiority meaningful. It is the tube itself that can be described as having more potential than a semi-conductor.

Most of the people who fight the good fight for solid-state are correct in noticing how good the sound of some transistor circuits have gotten. They really are very good. But when cost, maintenance, heat, size, and anything other than sound quality are not factors, the best yet achieved has still been through a vacuum tube.

Some in the solid state camp have never experienced the sound of a state-of-the-art modern tube amplifier or system. Some just aren't as picky about sound or just don't hear subtlety very well. Others are swayed by things other than their ears (watts per channel ratings, THD ratings, etc...).

Very few if any in the vacuum tube camp are guilty of not having spent time with comparable transistor amplifiers or being swayed by anything other than what their ears tell them.

Yes, and no,, the only best resonable but still far too expensive, costly to run, and replace tubes are the CAT mono's.. Atmosphere's are okay too, but again put one of the tube pre's in front of one of the best solid states and its gonna be tuff to Fight the good fight for excessive tube usage as well, I have heard what many believe to be one of the best systems with 30,000$ VAC mono's and wilson Grand slams, well it was not overly impressive, and I have heard some of the supposed best solid state mark levinsons on Eggleston works, and Krells as well, well again not overly impressive, so there is a balance and in no way is just tube amp systems going to be all superior to some great solid state, but this is not represented well by the big name products all the time on either solid state or tube. For me the most popular Tube's of Audio research I do not like, and The most popular for solid state Krell I do not like, so I might be the 1% that can't hear real music very well and 99% of you love these products :)

Sorry correction above, I meant VTL mono's with wilson's, I never heard VAC's.

Hmm, this is getting to be a good conversation. I have heard Krells, VTLs, Brystons and Holcrons in the same room with the same speakers and the same source players, what sounded the best to me? LOL, the Conrad Johnson in the other room.

All that aside the best system I have ever heard was a Crown reference amp and a top of the line Classe CDP on maggie 3.3's and a Velodyne 18" sub- it was a truely involving listening session. It blew away the top B&W's, and Vandersteens, I was amazed, and it is why I run 15" subs, real bass requires SPL and air movement to be real.

I have been listening to the GamuT Mk.3 for 2 years. This amp is very transparent and coherent. It clips gently. The GamuT is unique in that it uses large switching MOSFET output devices, only one for the push and one for the pull, each channel as opposed to a dozen or more output devices for typical equivelent power SS amps. This results in a very clear "single voice" sound with no matching problems. I counted 7 reviews on the GamuT D-200 Mk3, all which rated it reference level and some compared it favorably with many good tube amps. A French publication said the GamuT was rated in Europe among the top five amps being produced. It has been particularly popular with symphony orchestra conductors so I have been told. I use the GamuT with a SET tube preamp, a superb combo. The latest Pass Amps ie X350.5 use MOSFETs for the ouput(however in this case multiple devices) and are getting many positive comments regarding their musicality. These are two examples of excellent amps using MOSFET output.