You are doing the right thing moving to a solid state amp. Why not add a nice tube preamp if you must do tubes..Keep in mind that tubes are going to get harder to find as time goes on, especially since there are now two new strains of omicron viruses circulating The goverment will require again that everyone wears a mask.This is further going to raise havoc on supply and demand.
Mid-fi tube vs high-end SS
Hello everyone. I am new here but not new to audio. I’ve been meaning to buy a high-end permanent SS amp for 2 years now. But not sure how much improvement I can get.
A little about what I have. I use a high-quality tube amp I bought for around $1,500. 55 watts per channel Class A. With upgraded tubes it’s a little over $2,000. The amp I have is the Musical Paradise mp-501 I’ll link below. Using upgraded Kt-170 tubes along with some nos 5693 red tubes and 717-a tubes.
My audio knowledge and listen ability has improved substantially these past few years thanks partly to this tube amp. Sorry for the long-winded intro. My actual question is, how much improvement should I expect going from this tube amp to something high-end SS like the Gato 150 and the incredible DVA M225? Very little reviews on the Gatos, I’m hoping I could get some help here, even anything about the Gato 150 from users would be helpful. Ty
https://www.musicalparadise.ca/store/index.php?route=product/product&path=59&product_id=55
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@decooney You misunderstand me. I'm very happy with the sound of my system. That comment about the bmr midrange being too neutral is just a concern I have when looking at SS pairing. It's just that reading the reviews of these fantastic SS amps make me really curious.
A tube pre-amp with SS monos sound enticing but I'm trying to have less tubes in my life. haha. |
Gotcha. There were some helpful replies in this thread by members sharing with you the pros/cons of sound from each. I’m a 35+ year class A/AB solid state amp owner, until really good tube amps entered the picture for me 8 years ago. Well made tube amps are simple and don’t burn up tubes prematurely. Good USA or Japan made tube amp designs last 50+ years. If you want a lasting SS amp with decent sound, get a Bryston. Was simply trying to relate your BMR speakers will do much better with the right amp driving them. Best of Luck |
- 68 posts total