Thoughts on Tube vs SS amplification for Sony SS AR1s

Watts are highly overrated and misunderstood. Even listening at fairly high levels with relatively inefficient speakers the vast majority of the time is only some fraction of a watt. Its the peaks that call for power and its the ability to deliver during those peaks that determines our sense of power more than any measurement. The proof is in your experience, which is the same as mine, and matches a whole lot of others who have tried and compared. This is all boiled down in the adage that tube watts are greater than SS watts. 

In fact not even all tube watts are created equal, and its the transformer more so than the tubes that are responsible for this. Spend a little time researching Prima Luna or Raven tube integrated amps. Read the comments and reviews on my System. https://systems.audiogon.com/systems/8367 

That Melody is a 50 wpc tube amp. Before that was a 60 wpc Aronov tube amp. Both drove the same Talon speakers with more authority, volume, dynamics and bass than a 150 wpc SS McCormack DNA1, which is one very highly regarded SS amp. I had one, I know, as SS amps go it is truly great. As SS amps go. Tube amps are simply in another class. Its like CD, there are some really fine ones. Not ones you want to put up against a record, but good for what they are.

The plain fact of the matter is you get a really good tube integrated and how many watts it makes is just about the least relevant thing you could possibly measure. If you like what you're hearing what do you care what some other guy who you never met and will never hear your system thinks? 

Look at it this way- a beautiful 150 wpc MCCormack DNA1 amp. Does not sound as good as either of 2 tube amps 1/3 as powerful. Obviously power is not all its cracked up to be. Or as Robert Harley famously said, "If the first watt isn't any good, why would you want 200 more of them?"

sfmorris
Thoughts on Tube vs SS amplification for Sony SS AR1s

Forget tube, your going to need a "good solid state amp" that can deliver copious amounts of current in to 2ohms, if you want the bass of these to give their very best.
With the speakers being 90db you don’t need a huge amount of watts, 100-150w @ 8ohms will do, but they need to double those watts into 4ohms "and nearly double again into 2ohms", indicating good current delivery.

https://www.stereophile.com/images/711SS1fig1.jpg

Stereophile bench tests
The impedance drops below 4 ohms for much of the midrange, reaching a minimum value of 2.7 ohms between 350 and 400Hz and at 95Hz. The electrical phase angle (fig.1, dotted trace) is also quite severe at some frequencies; the combination of 3.4 ohms magnitude and –53° phase angle at 70Hz, a frequency where music can have a significant amount of energy, will require the Sony be used with an amplifier that is not fazed by 2 ohm loads.

Cheers George

That's a nice integrated you have and you say things sound good to you? Enjoy what you have don't worry about specs on paper or what others tell you. It's all about what sounds good to you.

The biggest issue, that I can see, is the dip in impedance between 100 Hz and about 700 Hz.

https://www.stereophile.com/content/sony-ss-ar1-loudspeaker-measurements

What I have found is that even with modest SS amps, this causes a noticeable depression in the output. So... what you may be enjoying is a very V shaped curve.  If you find yourself listening at low volumes, that's what's happening. You've set yourself up with an accidental loudness button. :)

Should you change it? Only if you are dissatisfied.  A beefy SS amp or just beefier amp in general, will flatten out the audible response.  Better for higher volume listening for sure.

I'm sure you'll hear a difference, pay attention to the ideal listening level when you try other amps, and the upper bass. Listen for a while and see if it's better or worse for long term listening.

Thanks everyone for the very helpful input - you’ve given me a few things to research, and of course reminded me to trust my ears (always a good reminder). @erik thats an interesting point you made about lower volume listening - I’ll spend some time listening a bit more carefully and see if can hear what you’re describing.

@jond thats exactly what i should be doing, you’re right~ I wish I had an SS amp on hand just to compare (I can’t imagine them sounding much better than they do)

@george accuphase seems to have some good integrated that double through to 2 ohms. Do you have any personal suggestions?

@miller thats exactly what i have been thinking as i listen to the luxman - forget what it says on paper, i cant see it sounding much better - one thing i dont get about the lx 380 is the power output for 4 ohms seems to be weakest? 20W + 20W (6Ω), 18W + 18W (8Ω), 14W + 14W (4Ω)
I’m not sure how to interpret that...