Why do Tube Amps sound more romantic v SS amps

jerryg123,

Maybe for legato speakers, which is nice, but my comment is an overall comment for most speakers.

We live in a solid state amp world and most speakers are not well designed for tube amps. So keep this in mind when you're buying a tube amp.

@aseaman007

What is better to own cost wise sound advantage single ended and push pull ?

Did anyone answer this part of your question? I may have missed it, I am basically blind in one eye, and I do miss things.

My understanding of electronic theory is limited, but I believe that push-pull is a more efficient way to make power, and therefore, if all else is equal, push-pull watts are cheaper than SET watts. But I am personally NOT saying one is better than the other.

I have a friend that says his pair of (SET) Cary 805s are the best thing since white bread. If you have some spare time, put those in as a search engine and see what comes up. You could also read what Dennis Had has to say about his SET (I think I remember that they are called "Inspire") amps. In a nutshell, he claims that with the right speaker (a fairly efficient one) they literally breathe.

On the other hand, about 25 years ago I was buying some tubes (over the phone) from Andy at Vintage tubes, and I engaged him in a conversation comparing the two (SET & push pull) and he was telling me about what 200 watts of "pure class A" push-pull sounded like, and I believe I remember he used the term "liquid fire" in an orgasmic tone of voice.

As for my own experience, I have owned three tube amps & they have all been push-pull. They have, at various times, all performed magic for me. But magic is a subjective & relative term, and remember that I specified "for me."

On edit: and I don’t think "romantic" was necessarily a bad modifier for you to use. "Romantic" is in the ears and eyes of the beholder. When I sit down with a glass of wine or harder liquor or even a beer to enjoy the sound of 23 vacuum tubes, that is about as close as I get to romance these days.

Romance. LOL.

“tube amp sound changes almost every 50hr due to tube emissions degradation, bias-balance degradation., accelerated resistor/capacitor aging, etc‘.

Just not a remotely true. I have thousands of hours on tube amps with no even minuscule different in well over a couple thousand hours.

@jumia still beg to differ, Klipsch, Volti, Audio Note, QLN, JBL, Bache, Zu, Fritz, Raven Audio, Spatial, KLH, DeVores, Sf, and I could go on and on.

Not SS or Tube it is watts and efficiencies if you are using flea watt tube amps.

Your statement maybe true for mass produced mid-fi. 

Think you need to broaden your horizons as there are many modern tube amplifier builders. 

Kick around these pages and other sites and you will see.