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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
asvjerry's avatar
asvjerry
4,741 posts
 
...and then there's the paradigms of amp choice and the speakers it drives....

There's been a lot of waxing wonderous of 'this' driving 'that'...and it generally is tied to the tube v. silica...which, is really actually rather special, imo..

The SET that can make this driver sing like a lark....but driven by SS type anything will make some prefer to have cellophane crushed around their head....

The SS that makes that driver sound like the sax solo is getting etched into the backside of your skull....but it feeeelss  sooo gooood.  Swap...

...and you'd rather have a root canal anywhere but your ears.

It's real subjective....and even then, subject to your listening den/torture chamber.....

The jury's still out on hybrids as far as I can tell....

The 'Everyamp for Everyone'?  Or the 'Nothing for Nobody'? *L*

A 3 position switch: T/SS/STS ?  Any love/hate/meh relationships out there?  Curious minds are nosy...*S*

atmasphere's avatar
atmasphere
11,936 posts
 
What did I give up? Distortion.
Distortion is what causes solid state amps to be bright and harsh.
mahgister's avatar
mahgister
13,195 posts
 
Good design is distortions controls....Tube or not....


djones51
4,947 posts
 
Distortion is what causes solid state amps to be bright and harsh.
Distortion is what causes solid state amps that measure as bad as tube amps to be bright and harsh. Take something like the Benchmark AHB2 noise and distortion is below audibly of humans. No tube amp can come close to it and very few SS amps. 
bigkidz
3,403 posts
 
This IMO is a general question as it does not apply to all amps SS or Tubes.  My old Lafayette tube amp will probably out perform most SS amps. My Class A amp sounds different and each has advantages the other does not.  I prefer this tube amp myself but it is a monster weight wise.  I build a hybrid power amp tube input and bi-polar transistor output.  It is a point-to-point wired amp using customer transformers, chokes, top resistors and capacitors.  You cannot find another amp build like this.  It sounds like a combined SS & Tube amp.

@mglik - maybe a true Class A amp would come close.

Happy Listening.
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