From tubes to solid state. What do you loose...



...if your priories are transparency, timbral acuracy, micro dynamics and soundstage? I am hesitant to give-up on my Sonic Frontiers Power 2, but buying tubes every so often can be quite expensive. The current tubes offered (Sovtek, Svetlana, EH) are short-lived and not cheap either. I will probably stay with tube pre-amp and go with the ss amps, like Mark Levinson...?
lmasino
Judit, How can adding harmonics (even or odd) add detail if the detail isn't already there? In fact, if the detail is already in the signal won't adding harmonics confuse the sound more?
What do you loose? Headaches, hassle and hernia(s). Just kidding. At the top, there's not a lot of difference between the two. At more realistic levels solid state designs tend to do bass better, while tubes typically give a terrific midrange. I, however, have decided to meet in the middle and have gone with hybrid tube equipment. Thus I get some of the best of both worlds while not realizing the best of either.
Trade-offs! I hate those stinkin' trade-offs!
Brauser gives good advice. If you are hassled by a SF amp then you should back away at this point. Do the tube pre with NOS tubes mated to a SS amp and you'll be happy.

You want happy? Sell the SF and get a Supratek Chardonay pre, drop out the stock 6SN7's for VT231's, get a Pass or Plinius MkIII or higher amp and we'll never hear from you again.
I heard Judit's comments before. The explanation is not saying that you are adding harmonics, but rather the results of existing harmonics.