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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
bob540
415 posts
 
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
mahgister's avatar
mahgister
13,196 posts
 
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....

:)
asvjerry's avatar
asvjerry
4,772 posts
 
I grew up with tubes. Enjoyed them while that lasted...

SS ’occurred’...initially, laughable. But the technology grew to a level of maturity that first matched, then blew past ’valves’ and their inherint weakness. "Rolling tubes" ought to be a clue, but it’s a hobby.

Ya gots the ’Trads’, the ’SOTAs’, and the Big Middle (or Muddle, if you like)...

The incandescent bulb begot the fluorescent begot the LED.
Each has a longer lifespan and reliabilty of service.
Tube>transistor>integrated circuts>?
Class A>AB>D>?

The one thing we can count on is Change.
Some do...Some don’t...Some like both....or all.

Each still has appeal, it comes down to what you like....like your speakers, your home, your spouse, your f’n underwear for that matter.
terry9
2,354 posts
 
What I don’t like about tubes is the high voltage supplies. If something goes badly wrong you can blow up speakers, and if you like Quad ESL's, well, you can end up a lot of KV over-voltage, leaving just about everything dead but the frame. Unless you have really good protection circuits, which aren’t really good for the sound.

So I built very clean SS amps with +/- 25VDC rails. This cannot drive my ESL’s into protection, so I was able to disconnect the protection circuit and improve clarity considerably.

Maybe there are better amps out there, but the system of amp-speaker, I suspect, is as good as anyone’s. At least, anyone who doesn’t have access to military or equivalent hardware.


knotscott's avatar
knotscott
1,006 posts
 
It seems like every time I hear the term "tube sound" as it relates to solid state, it only addresses a perceived softer tonal balance, but misses the "view" into the recording studio that I get from tubes, so it ends up kinda dull.  Inversely, the SS amps that aren't "tubey" sound brighter but without the transparency, which sounds exaggerated to me.  Is it one of those "you don’t know what you’re missing" things if you haven't experienced it, or have SS amps really improved their transparency, (and not just test bench performance)?
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