Small wattage SET amps (2a3, 45, 46, 211) turned me me into an audiophile, but SS pass labs xa30.8 with EAR 868 tube preamp got me off of the SET train and into beautiful hybrid heaven.
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.
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.
- ...
- 84 posts total
I have a pair of Mcintosh mc- 501 ss mono block amps, in my audio rig. I swapped them out for a pair of Mcintosh mc-2301 tube mono blocks. The tube mono blocks made, the ss mono blocks sound like charlie brown, amps (flat and non three dimensional.) I did not here a change in the bass, but lower midrange had more body. But be for the swap i thought the 501’s had great 3-d imaging. That is my experience with tube/ss amps. The tube amps are less watts. The speakers are jbl 4435 monitors. :-) |
I have not owned any tube equipment, but this discussion reminded me of a video by Sean of zero fidelity (see below) that reviewed the Linear Tube Audio z10. It is said to combine the best of tubes and the best of solid state in one package. It is mostly a tube preamp that has a low-power amplifier thrown in. I don’t know what it sounds like, but getting an integrated amplifier with all of 11-12 wpc into 2 channels, for about $5,000 does not tempt me. I hear that wattage isn’t the be-all for such products, and Sean said the sound was very good with some low efficiency speakers (but better with high efficiency ones), but I still doubt that such low power could really be all that great at that price. Of course, I might be wrong. https://youtu.be/i9QCY5QuuF8 |
You are probably wrong if we speak about quality watts... It is the amplifier i dream to buy.... It is a complete new recreation of tube amplifier technology...The creator is a physicist...Not only all reviews are glowing one but the tube has a duration very long and no heat.... Think about that, organic sound tube with the detais of s.s. and can be used like a top of the line pre-amplifier... It is the only amplifier about which i dream for the last years.... My old Sansui AU 7700 is so good i want to be sure to beat it if i buy another amplifier, and this Sansui is hard to beat.... But you are right, if i listen telepathically to you, i never listen to it.... :) |
- 84 posts total