Tubes v. SS: can you mix and match?

Webnick, I think if you consider setting your sights a bit higher (and maybe spending a bit more) than another Adcom - even a more powerful one such as the 565 - you'll be happier in the long run. The speakers you plan to get deserve it. Get the speakers first, then audition some amps, maybe in comparsion to a 565; I don't think you'll be very hard-pressed to find something better. Most audiophiles will allocate at least as much, and often more, to the power amplification than to the speakers. Getting yourself a pair of fairly expensive and revealing speakers, and then trying to power them on the cheap, will rarely work out well - the speakers often wind up highlighting the amp's inadequacies. Listen for yourself and you'll likely agree (and don't neglect trying a speaker cable upgrade at the same time).

You are correct in thinking that you can buy more power for less money going the SS route, although that will not necessarily translate into better sound, or even sound that sounds 'more powerful' - lower-powered tube amps have a habit of exceeding expectations in this area compared to moderately-priced SS amps, so don't get bogged-down in the numbers game of counting rated wpc. Go for quality over quantity.

Bass will usually be more "sharply-defined" with equivalent-quality SS amplification than with tubes. Again, this won't automatically mean 'better' (as in 'more natural') to many listeners, but these things are why you might want to try and hear some tubed amps for yourself before committing, if you can.

To answer your other question, a tubed amp will be turned all the way off when not in use, but it will arrive at fully-warmed-up sooner after being turned on than a SS amp would if it were not on stand-by. Stand-by on preamps is not new, but is more common for SS than for tubes, and running tubes continuously can shorten their life, although so can turning them on and off frequently. Probably most audiophiles turn their tube preamps off when not it use, but there is a large contingent than leaves them on - if you get a tubed pre, you can try this and decide for yourself.

Zaikesman: thanks; very informative. My gut said to wait on a SS amp purchase: I began to wonder if the older SS amp was the way to go. And if I'm buying new, why not go with tubes. I think I'll keep the Adcom around, though. It might be useful in a multi-channel setup powering a subwoofer. What sort of power in a tube amp do you think I need for the Energy Audissey A5+2s? What about tube amp configuration? Pentode, triode? Any particular features I should look for? What manufacturers make entry level 'acceptable quality' tube amps? Thanks for your help, Z.

Webnick, I'm not sure any more what the main thrust of your question is. Listen to some amps of both types if you can. Tube amps aren't made for the mass market, so quality will be at least "acceptable" or better, but sound and quality tend to be pretty comensurate with price until you get above the price range you're likely to be looking in. As for your present speakers, I'm not qualified to offer advice on powering them, but focus on sound quality, not watts. My point is that if you want the better speakers, get a better amp than an old Adcom - be it tube or SS - and I recommend either getting the speakers first or auditioning your amp options through those speakers if you plan on buying them later. The tube options you'll want to look at in your range will not be triode, and basic stereo amps don't have many features to compare. Let your ears be your guide. :-)

I guess I was trying to understand what makes a particular tube amp a quality tube amp. I think I understand now that you were talking in general terms, and that in general, tube amps tend to be of a higher sound quality than SS amps. I'll get to some local shops and start listening to tube amps. Do you have any reservations about three channel tube amps? Do you have any reservations about the Jolida tube amps?

Can't answer for Zaikesman, obviously, but I do have experience with tube gear including Jolida. Jolida do make some great products for the money they charge. Most are built in China as I understand (the company itself is based in MD). The quality is more on the scale of a mass-produced item rather than the more hand-built level that much of the higher-priced tube gear reflects. The Jolida amp I owned was their 302B and was the first tube amp I owned. It was well built but certainly did reflect that distinction I made. If I compare it to the Cary and Quicksilver gear I now use one could certainly tell the difference in quality upon examining both products. I found the Jolida to be immensely enjoyable coming from SS, and would certainly recommend them as a solid introduction to tubes that has pretty good resale value as well, though you may even like it enough to hold onto for a while. You can certainly purchase more refined, hand-built tube products that sound even better still, no doubt about it. You will likely have to add some more $ to your Jolida price tag though, and or buy used gear (which is not necessarily a bad thing). The Jolida 302B I had did yield much of the wonderful qualities tubes have to offer without a huge $ commitment. Eventually it made me yearn for more of what I loved about those qualities. Some of the things that will make the difference in price and quality of tube gear are just how well the amp is designed, the quality of the components used in the amp from capacitors, to transformers to attenuators to tube-sockets to wires and more. Also how well constructed it all is....how much care went into the assembly...is it point-to-point wiring or are printed circuits utilized...are the tranformers hand wound or machine wound and sourced from some other country. As far as three channel amps, I'm not sure if you are asking about Jolida's additional output for a subwoofer(?). I think the use of a subwoofer is a matter of taste. Nothing wrong with it if done right. The Jolida output (subwoofer-out) does not put out much power as I recall so going that route may not give all the punch of going through an separately amplified sub. Perhaps you may be referring to using a center channel, which I have no experience with, but understand it can also be done very effectively. Anyway, hope that input helps.

Marco