Tube Power vs Solid State Power

All I can say is what I’ve experienced. I have 95 db sensitive open baffle speakers from Spatial. I’ve run about five amps from six watts a channel tube up to 700 watts a channel solid state mono blocks. Of everything I tried, 20 watts of transformerless tube has the best bass, best dimensionality, best imaging, best everything. More watts didn’t make for better sound, just more headroom I didn’t need. 

The tubes I’ve had sound way fuller at low volumes therefore sounding more fullfilling at low volumes. If you really want to rock out at 100db levels I think you need some watts and some current. I’ve not had high dollar tubes but that is my experience. If I liked 80db or under it would be tubes all day especially if it was not too busy music. 

Ohh the one I had that demanded tubes was Klipsch Chorus 2s. They rocked like a mutha but still needed some eq to tame them. The Tekton DIs I had sounded really very awesome with the Cayin A100 I had but only till about 80-85 db then they sounded a mess. 

I’ve now owned a few SS amps and a few tube amps…. Mind you, I now own a really hi-end tube pre-amp and power amp set and I’m loving the tube sound…

I compared the $35k Gryphon to the $20k ARC and my ear goes to the ARC amp every time… 

you listen and learn… no right answer…right boys…?

It isn't true that 20 watts are 20 watts. One may be 40 volts at 0.5 amp, the other 10 volts at 2 amps. But does it matter to the sound? And does the answer to that question depend on the speaker (setting aside cone versus electrostatic design)?