Describe ube sound vs solid state

Mapman gets it...I think it's an interesting part of hifi dialog that great tube amps are often described as having "SS like grip on the bass," and SS amps will be described as having "tube-like warmth and harmonic content" or some such thing. I personally prefer a tube power amp for the tube specific harmonic content driven tone AND because I like messing with tubes, but the point of all this is great sounding music and luckily you can find it in either design camp.

Ube is a very cool sound.

A lot depends on the designer and what "sound" he/she is reaching for. The range on sound differences are many. It can go from very harsh and bright for some solid state to very soft and mushy and distorted for tube. But, I have found that well designed tube equipment is both realistic and accurate and the same is true for well designed solid state designs.

It also depends on what speakers you are driving.

The real test is you. What type of music do you appreciate? Are you familiar with how instruments are "suppose" to sound? Are you familiar with sound space, dimensionality?,etc. How loud you play your music matters also.

You are going to hear/read from many about harmonic distortion and how it is different in tubes vs solid state equipment. That is well and good. However, There are some pretty good solid state designers out there, just as there are some good tube designers.

To debate and discuss tube sound vs solid state sound, one first must test both on an apples to apples scale. Pick a price point, select equipment well designed within that price point and go at it. just like cars, most electronic equipment is designed within price points that have compromises to stay within that price range. So it will be very close to apples to apples in the comparison.

You can't A/B an Audio Research REF 2509 amp vs a lower end or mid fi Yamaha solid state amp and consider that a fair comparison.

If you are talking about high end, then you will then see that the equipment is pretty darn close with subtle differences. And now!!!! is when we can have a fair discussion about the differences. Until I hear a person's reference point about comparisons, the discussion is lost on me.

Tube sound is warmer and more detailed? In reference to what???

I can tell you that I really like the Audio Research REF 250 amps. They are clean, smooth, accurate and realistic to my ears. The best I've hear so far. I've heard the top of the line Boulder amps and wow! they are nice. I still prefer the AR amps. But it may not be solid state vs tube here, but just AR vs Boulder.

Remember, every designer is different. I haven't heard the TOL Pass amps, but I bet they are really nice.

So, read/listen to what others say about tube sound vs solid state, but, it all comes down to price point, apples to apples comparison and ultimately, what you prefer.

enjoy

In guitar applications tubes are still definite choice over solid state. Clean, natural, smooth and powerful distortion is only typical to the tube guitar amps while solid state guitar amps (such as Line-6) are using effects to simulate tubes with substantially more harshness and less smooth and less transparent.
In home audio applications tubes are used mostly to impress an eye of the consumer while solid states are nowdays no compromise at all.

Minori,
That was a nice and well reasoned post.