Tube or solid state

@charles1dad …”People simply like what they like.”

Very good point. Folks attracted to high end audio do not share a common end point. Some, simply want their system to sound better to them… which, who knows what that means… recreating a college party experience… a concert they heard long ago. Also, if you like one genre of music you will get pulled in a certain direction. Some, no direction… just it sounds better. Some folks try to recreate the sound of live music.

With all these end goals, it is not surprising companies have sprung up catering to different values. I chased former college / ethereal electronic sound for a ten years or so… my test records would sound better… but lots of my albums would sound worse (jazz, classical, rock). I started thinking… “well, what does the real thing sound like? So, I found out… I hung out at acoustical jazz concerts, stopped when I saw a piano player and listened, attended hundreds of classical concerts.

This completely changed my objectives and direction. With each step, all music sounded better (well, except electronic) and over time my system sounded completely outstanding… real. My system now sounds better and more real than going to the symphony (they put in a DSP sound system, which ruined the sound… not all just positive on my side).

If all people had the same goals as I do, then most systems would sound very similar and the design goals of manufactures would be the same. But since they are not, they are not.

There is also the Designs in place where the Aesthetic of the Product, carries a substantial proportion of the costing, placing it at a marketing level that will be referred to as a High End sector of HiFi.

Have a look under the hood and the circuit design will in many cases be discovered to be a mediocre affair, and not too inspiring to somebody in the know.

A Brand and Attractive Aesthetic, can for some, make the sonic produced from the replay 'seem to be' a very refined presentation. Assessing / Listening with the eyes, is only one part of the discipline required, when evaluating equipment being demonstrated.

I hang out a lot at a shop that only sells tube amps and preamps (not even hybrid integrated amps are sold there) and I have often seen new people come into the store and have what is close to a religious conversion experience—they had no idea music can sound so good—lively, engaging and fun.  Of course it is not just the fact that it is tube gear, it is the right tube gear playing the right speakers.  I have not seen the opposite: someone falling head over heals for solid state after living with good tube gear.

I also have seen good tube amps seemingly work magic with even less than terrific speakers.  That same dealer takes in all sort of trade-in speakers.  To test them, they are played with some amps you would never couple with such crappy speakers but those speakers can sound amazingly good with these amps.  We heard a small, old pair of Polk speakers sound great when matched to Western Electric 124 amps (350 B pushpull amp).