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For anyone who moved from tubes to solid state — a question

I'm the happy owner of a fairly new tube preamp and monoblock amps. I love it and have bought new tubes. To have another option for warmer weather or possibly a second listening room, I got a very good solid state integrated. I've run the tube preamp with the solid state amp and it sounds quite nice. I love all tubes, too.

But this question is for you. Please forget the convenience factor for a moment, including the issue of tube replacement etc. Also, forget about those cases where you bought new speakers and needed more power, etc.

Assuming you had quality tube gear with sufficient power — here's the question if you abandoned tubes for SONIC reasons:

What what is that tubes couldn't give you?
What did your solid state gear do for you which was so much better that you divorced to marry anew?

I'm curious about what people list as the positive sonic reasons they love solid state (including A, AB, D, etc.).

Thanks.
128x128hilde45
oldhvymec
5,101 posts
 
It's simple for me. I like both when there used right. I don't use valve power amp below 300, only SS.  300 and above is Valve, in the fall, winter and spring. Summertime, Class d amps in the monitor positions. I swap when the weather cools off, and it helps warms the house.. 

Regards
georgehifi's avatar
georgehifi
10,312 posts
 

I've had quite a few tube amps SET, Push/Pull pentode, ultra-linear and triode.
And with all of them the better I made them sound with mods, the closer to the better high bias Class-A/B solid state amps they got.
The only tube that was up there with them was OTL tube amps, but they have problems for me with the type of speaker they are happy driving. And I can't live with that type of speaker.
 
Cheers George
hilde45's avatar
hilde45 OP
4,974 posts
 
@oldhvymec

I don't use valve power amp below 300, only SS. 300 and above is Valve

Not sure I understand. You don't use valves/tubes *below* 300 wpc? Only *above* 300 wpc is valves/tubes? I would have thought it was the opposite.
three_easy_payments's avatar
three_easy_payments
2,097 posts
 
In my experience it’s all about matching the amp and speakers. When I was running Spendor D7’s and moved from a Cary tube amp to a Pass XA30.8 SS amp (with actually less watts) I realized a substantially better bass foundation, articulation, and slam.

I later made a speaker change to Devore O/96’s which are exceptionally easily to drive. I acquired a Line Magnetic 805ia SET tube amp to try with the O/96’s and the sonic improvement was astounding compared to the Pass, including the bass, as well an overall rich sound with incredible detail and beautiful nuance.

So I don’t think bright lines can always be applied comparing SS to tube amps - it’s about component matching.
atmasphere's avatar
atmasphere
11,807 posts
 
In my experience it’s all about matching the amp and speakers.
^^ This!
If your speaker is of reasonable impedance in the bass (8 ohms or higher) then its no worries making bass. Some tube amps (like SETs) do have trouble making bass impact due to phase shift in the lower octave. But if the amp has the bandwidth to prevent that then bass impact is no worries.

Many solid state amps actually overdamp the loudspeaker, as amplifier technology in terms of acting as a voltage source has far outstripped loudspeaker technology in this regard- no speaker ever made needs more than 20:1 damping factor, yet there have been solid state amps with damping factors of 1000:1. Overdamped speakers tend to have a coloration often called 'tight bass'; no such thing seems to exist in real life. But audiophiles often point to tight bass as a good thing, even though its pretty obvious its an artifact and not neutral.
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