For me, there's something about the way tubes sound. Little things like bells and other percussion instruments sound crystalline and shimmer in black three dimensional space. It's difficult to explain but it's there.
Why is solid state more popular when tubes are better?
Yes tubes are more involved and require periodic maintenance. Hybrid tube components need not apply, these are really solid state.
Tubes are better for multiple reasons and yet the world and the trade prefers solid state. Those rare audio shops that are geared toward stereo listening and serious connoisseurs tend to Focus more on tubes. Those in business who like to improve volumes tend to offer solid state. All the YouTube channels looking to improve their business tend to be solid state. Maybe because tubes require much more expertise to sell, and there's lesser and lesser to go around. Solid state is more of a fast food commodity.
Tubes are difficult for businesses due to all the maintenance and complexity so you see it less often. Much much easier to sell hybrids or solid state.
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@jumia Actually its easily supported if you understand how distortion interacts with the ear. If you lack that information, then solid state appears the winner hands down. FWIW, tubes have been around a long time since being declared ’obsolete’ (which was the 1960s- imagine that idea in the face of germanium transistors 🤣). They’ve actually been around longer than when they were the only game in town. So there is an economic ’support’ as well- if tubes were really inferior they would have been gone 6 decades ago! So you don’t really need to know the engineering about why solid state has had troubles ending tubes in audio. The economic reality is enough. I outlined what the engineering problem with solid state is in prior posts so will not repeat myself here. Despite all this I’m not saying that tubes are superior at this point, as you will see if you read my prior posts.
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I know atmasphere is right... But all tube amplifier dont have expert design as atmasphere evidently own... I will not name de designer of my tube amplifier, but it was inferior to my " Sansui S.S. amplifiers... to be fair it was low cost tube amplification...And my Sansui were labelled top S.S. design in 1978... 😊 I bought Sansui for only one reason : they designed their Au-series inspired by a comparison in sound with their best tubes amp and designed their Au S.S. to sound as pleasant for the ears as a tube amp...I never regretted it... The tube amp i bought was not comparable at all... It sound as any S.S. amp i bought before the Sansui and i dislike them, a bit cold and analytical ... Then Atmasphere is right but not all tube designer had his knowledge... Anyway i never like any s. s. amp before my Sansui , as the the only tube amp i bought ... i am sure atamasphere is right about his knowledge, but not all amp tube or S.S. obey his psycho-acoustic harmonic third as he know for sure ... In my experience not much... but i never owned high cost amplifier... My costlier one is the Sansui Alpha who for me is very good.. Am i deluded ? i dont know for sure... i love my S.S. Sansui... THen i think some S.S. obey this third harmonic constraint... Only atmasphere know for sure...😊
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