McIntosh Tube amps or Solid State?? Advices needed!!

"Tubes cost really money"

I like that statement as not many people admit to the extra cost of owning tube amps. I have tube amps and have spent this year alone $1300 in tubes. and probably will do the same next year or early year following, preamp tubes do last a long time but power tubes do not. 

  Depending on the tube type and count that's big money to toss away every couple years, not to mention tube failures and degradation over time. If your not steeped into the tube life I'd recommend passing on tube power amps at least, tube preamps can be great though. 

Now if you love tubes then your basically &$%#* as you can't have anything else and the cost is just the cost of doing business. sigh....

 

I have tube amps and have spent this year alone $1300 in tubes.

Wow!  Well, there are tubes and amps and there are tubes and amps.  High power pentodes don't last very long.  Triodes can last a long time but DHT triodes will degrade over time.  But many power pentodes and tetrodes in well designed PP or SE amps just run and run and run.  Tube amps can be very economical if you want them to be.

When I purchased a McIntosh MC225 a few years ago it still had the original power tubes from 1963 - and still does, despite playing several hours every day.  I have purchased many vintage EL84 amps with original tubes from the late 50s and early 60s.  Were these tubes better than modern?  Maybe, but it's more about amp design.

Sorry I meant the 402 will have a better signal to noise ratio.

As far as I’m concerned most Mcintosh Solid State amps sound very similar to
Tube amps, that’s what I love about them.
I had an MA6300 for years and now the
MA6600. Most other amps I’ve heard sound too bright and lack the warmth that
lets me listen for hours without and fatigue.
Maybe tubes are slightly smother but the added cost just doesn’t make sense to me.
Mcintosh all the way, holds it’s value and sounds wonderful 😎