Affordable SS that sound like Tubes


I was a 100% vinyl guy for many years. Due to maintenance cost and aggravation I switched to DSD after a lot of research and I have no regrets.

 

I am looking for suggestions on affordable SS that sounds as good as Tubes. 

 

Here's the rub. My Mid Monos were less than $2,000 brand new and they sound incredible. As does my Pre that costed me less than $1,000.

Integrated suggestions are welcomed.

And I would like to hear from people that had fine tube equipment and switched to fine SS equipment.

And please, no mention of "Tubes have Higher Distortion." LOL

T

128x128tonydennison

Any Pass amp, Any Parasound amp designed by John Curl, the Atma-sphere class D amps. 

@tonydennison "..I am looking for suggestions on affordable SS that sounds as good as Tubes."

 

Aren’t we all. Best of Luck on that.

Plan on spending 5x the cost of your Quicksilver tube amps to try and get closer to "there" with solid state. I say this having an upgraded true Class-A 50w SS amp sitting here from Pass/Forte’. When you find affordable SS that sounds "as good as tubes", let us know. People have been trying and wishing for this, for decades.

You might fool yourself for a while with a used Firstwatt SIT-3 for a while, if you wanna try. They come up for sale every once in a while from the last try’er.

 

 

@vonhelmholtz  I use streaming services only to audition music. If I like a record enough to purchase I look DSD or as high a resolution I can find and purchase it. I am a DSD file guy. I look at streaming like someone in the 70's looked at radio.

Tube smoothness and musicality with SS detail and impact:

Atma-Sphere Class D. $5400 Killer!

Pass product sounds great and "tube" like imo and in my experience. Most of not al lPass runs in Class A for the first 10-30 watts, mimicking tube sound (and heat/inefficiency).