Tubes? Transistors? Which are better?

Hi Trelja; I appreciate and understand your advice and really would like to try different tube amps, but as I live out in the boondocks, trying different equipment in my system can be an expensive hassle. And then too, I really do like S. McCormacks amps-- they have terrific bass, not deep and boomy, but quick, tight, rhythmic, and natural. I did see S. McCormacks comments about tubes and was a bit surprised. Cheers. Craig.

i think there's an inneresting dichotomy here - w/tubed amps, ya gotta spend a *lot* of money to get a total sound as good as reasonably-priced solid-state amps. (craig, mebbe the s-f power three wooda done it for ya). and, i tink yust the opposite is true w/preamps - ya gotta spend a *lot* of money to get a solid state preamp w/a total sound as good as a more reasonably-priced tob preamp.

one person's opinion... doug

You know Doug I think maybe it comes down more to taste and what’s important to the individual listener. I remember back when I owned my last ss amp, a Threshold S300. Within 2 years of purchasing that amp, I bought a used pair of McIntosh MC-60's which stock were OK but still notably more palpable in the midrange than the Threshold. The Threshold revealed more of the detail at the frequency extremes and probably even in the midrange but it didn't have the tube magic. My wife heard it as well, right away most notably on vocal recordings. I was using a CJ all tube pre-amp at the time. Then I had some quite extensive mods done to the Macs including new filter caps, wiring, star grounding, changed a few resistor values to improve the highs and the sound improved another few notches notably in the bass and highs. Less classic tube colorations yet no loss of midrange magic. I have listened over the years to many different ss amps and everytime I listen regardless of make or model or what they do well, they have less of a "thereness" or "palpable presence" as Sam Tellig likes to say. This effect may be more or less important to some. I equate it to more real. Whether it be a coloration or rounding of the sound is not important to me. I am less analytical when listening to music and go with what makes the music more involving. Tube amps as well as pre-amps makes music come alive to a greater extent than the detailed sound I hear with ss. I feel quite certain I could live with a ss amp for a while. I further suspect after a period of time if I put a tube amp back in the system I would end up in the same place I am now. Anyone want to lend me their Levinson or Boulder to prove my theory? What is better, vanilla or chocolate?

tubegroover, ewe could be right - for *me*, while i *do* love what tubes do, i *also* can't give up the accuracy of ss at the frequency extremes, or the dynamics of ss. as far as preamps go, there seems to be lotsa tube-gear that really makes no sacrafices in these areas. but tube amps, on the other hand, seem to require large sums of money to make that tube "magic" w/o sacrificing what reasonably-priced solid-state does. so, i guess, if ewe *have* to sacrifice, due to budgetary constraints, then yure right - lower-cost tube amps will be a better solution if ya can manage w/out full-range frequency response & dynamics. as far as someone lending ewe a pair of levinson/boulder/etc, amps - i tink that's going in the wrong direction - if i could *borrow* amps in *that* price-range, i'd be looking at mebbe some manley/aronov/vtl amps... ;~) meantime, as i'm on a budget, i'm happy w/my electrocompaniet amps getting a signal from my melos pre... :>)

On this one, I keep coming back to moderate price tube pre-amps and also moderate price SS amps. I think Doug states the case for this position very well regarding the cost of excellent components-- that's an interesting observation, ie that excellent tube pre-amps can be made inexpensively (but not solid state), and vice versa with amps. I listen to a lot of rhythmic music that is driven by mid-bass, and my big McCormack amp is excellent at this-- yet it also does low volume and low level detail very well, eg better than the Power 2. It's been my experience that tube amps just don't do this part of music as well as SS. But, I've wanted to listen to VTLs 450 also. OTOH, I'm not willing to give up my tube pre-amp either-- it adds richness, body, and an improved sense of naturalness and holographics. Personal taste? that's right on too, and I think I've found were I fit in equipment wise. Cheers. Craig.