Describe ube sound vs solid state

I just put two Gold Lion 12AX7's (reissue) in my modest Vac Avatar and spent the weekend basking in the sound they brought to album after album, revealing new attributes and making the performance glow with life. A $70 exercise, in the direct signal path, that is not possible with SS. I had been considering a big Mc452, but I now think something would be lost regardless of how good that is. Maybe because it would just sit there with no interaction except off/on.

The only Pass I've heard at home was the Aleph0 and matching Pre. I found it boring, but could easily have been a speaker mismatch. Then they exited my price range.

The best thing about Pass amps is the meter, and I've found they sound fine mostly...I like the "first watt" philosophy as really the tonal qualities are all that matter and it's up to you to decide how much horsepower you need. Pass is one of those companies that says something like "sounds close to tubes" often and makes me even more of a tube head...I also recently installed a pair of Gold Lion 12Ax7s in my amp and they're great, along with KT150s to add a "hot pickle" vibe. Fun...

tubes are dynamic & make listening like an event whereas SS to me is like a reproduction which can be very good like Pass, of which I've owned a couple pieces. Thanks to my great guitar playing, record store owning buddy who swayed me towards tubes years ago (RIP Charlie).

Now that's interesting Pehare. I would have said that SS is dynamic. But, I'm remembering listing to the top of the line Wilson speakers, driving by an AR REF250 and a AR REF5SE and I have to tell you, I really stopped trying to determine the "sound" and was smiling all through the experience. Whenever I visit my favorite store in San Diego (Stereo Design) I always go in and listen to this system with my music and just smile. I forgot the SS vs Tube debates and just enjoyed.

I remember years ago (many, many years ago), when I was going to upgrade speakers to the then new Martin Logan Sequel IIs. at Robertson Audio in Los Angeles. They were setting up the room and while waiting, we took the opportunity to listen to the Top of the Line $35,000 turntable, Goldmond (spelling?) top $75,000 speakers driven by Mark Levinson 23.5 amps and that was the only real time other than the AR250 experience that I couldn't stop smiling. Wow!!

When the artist steps out of the speakers and the sound stage magically appears in front of you and you are "there", the smiles just don't end. I promised myself that when I could afford those 23.5 amps, I would get them. I made the same promise with the AR REF250 amps.

I don't care if it is tube or solid state. If the sound makes me remember and smile like that again, I'm there.

Of course, I do have to be able to afford them. sign.....

enjoy

I meant sigh......

enjoy