So… I’ve been building guitar amps for a few years… and very familiar with tubes and circuitry… and just entering the audiophile world. Is there a definitive opinion or discussion somewhere for help in determining where and or when to apply either?
For me the fact that SS amp manufacturers often quote a "tube like" quality says it all. My listening rig (amp and preamp anyway) and my guitar amps are all tube. Great sounding SS amps are abundant of course and I use mega powerful SS stuff for live shows, but tubes got that mojo I crave. I and many other guitar players tried various SS amps when they appeared in the 70s (the Roland JC 120 was and still is popular), but meh...tubes mo bettah...
I remember hearing ML Requests paired with a Krell FPB 300 a long time ago. Possibly the best sound that I've ever heard. It's probably been so long ago to just be anecdotal at this point, but it made an impression that I've never forgotten. FWIW, I only own tube amps at this point, but still remember that ML Krell pairing.
Based more on equipment reviews than personal experience, I believe there are better tube options that sounds great at a midfi level (2k-5k) versus SS where you have to get to a Hifi level (5k-10k) before you see the better products. Personally I am 100% tube. I’ve spent years replacing SS equipment. Another consideration is your OCD level. Sounds like you’ve got a good selection of input tubes around. Would you be satisfied with a SS piece that can’t be tweaked? Cable and isolation tweaking is common to both options.
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