Switched From Tubes To SS???Glad You Did???

@freediver  glad to hear.

I have been LOVING my Hegel integrated. That said, got the itch for tubes again so I decided to try a Raven Nighthawk MKIII integrated. The manufacturer claims that its 20 watts will sound like 100 solid state watts. I've also read someone replacing their 150 watt SS amp with it.

Well, I didn't have anything remotely close to the same experience. It sounded very anemic and thin compared to the weight and body my Hegel has at "only" 75 watts into 8ohms. Bass was tighter, faster with more grip and went lower.  Everything was better on my Hegel. I'm sure the Raven sounds wonderful on some other systems, but in mine that Hegel was King.

HI OP,  As many state, I too wanted to live the tube life, sweet rich and non fatiguing.  My first toe in the tube water was PS Audio, where I trialed lower end stuff and ended up with BHK Preamp, BHK stereo amp and DS DAC.  Both Amp and pre are 'hybrid tube designs'.  But I missed the clarity and resolution of other SS stuff I had heard.  I demo'd in my home the McIntosh C2700 tube pre, both with my BHK amp and my SS Classe amp.  It was (to me) less clear and resolving than the BHK preamp.  Then I purchased the AudioNet Pre1 G3.  Wow.  clarity and resolution, non fatiguing etc.  Just takes better SS stuff to get there.  Sold all of my PS audio, and now I hear all the little things, tingly things, soundstage etc.  I do hear uber expensive tube stuff is amazing, but for me, happy with the SS and happy to not mess with tubes. The AudioNet stuff is awesome, and I have on order the Pre G2 and the mono Amps, trading up from the Pre 1 G3 and selling my Classe CA-2300, which is nice, but not as nice.   Oh... and the background is now dead quiet...not so with the PS stuff at all.  I could not handle the background noise.  Ken

I do have issues with my tube smartphone...it seems to be burning a hole in my pants, and waiting 40 seconds to answer a call while the tubes warm up seems to result in a lot of missed calls...it does sound better though.

Well I've got about 20 hours listening in with the new amp.It's good,a LOT better than I expected,especially regarding imaging & staging, but it just doesn't quite have that "organic"feel.Drums especially don't have that hear into the skin tone the tube amp has.I do notice leading edge dynamics seem crisper,hearing farther into the string just as the note is struck on guitars,sustain seems a touch better as well...One thing I find funny is the headphone circuit is WONDERFUL,every bit as good as the triode driven circuit in the Cayin..Here the drums DO have that organic feel I'm missing from speakers..I wonder why the difference?
 

I do have issues with my tube smartphone...it seems to be burning a hole in my pants, and waiting 40 seconds to answer a call while the tubes warm up seems to result in a lot of missed calls...it does sound better though.

This is nothing. You should see the problems with the turntable in my car.