Solid state amp vs tube amps

As a Valve Amplification user for more than 30 Years and one who could not entertain SS Amplification or Digital for close to 25 Years.

I have been introduced in the recent past years to experiencing through Demo's in the home system and in other systems, both Digital Source ( now owned and used regularly) and modern design for SS Power Amplification, which I would readily own.

My take on the experiences had in all systems, where all dem's had have been as a Valve vs SS comparison.

Is that I could easily move to SS and remain thoroughly satisfied and contented.

The detected differences in the end sonics produced by each Electronics Circuit Type is a non-concern.

Life's better with fewer prejudices and concerns about the escalating costs of rare vintage Valves. 

For the first time a solid state amp sits between the speakers burning in. Thinking it might add tighter bass with better damping factor. So far there are definite advantages albeit with some drawbacks. It's going to take a while as it doesn’t have the hours on it to consider it burned in.

A bit drier but with somewhat better resolution. Less bloom with slightly less ability to give the suspension of disbelief to the music. Tighter bass but maybe not as tuneful there. A bit flatter two dimensional sound which is my main concern. I’m thinking it will take at least a couple of months to parse out which presentation is most appealing. Hoping to see better depth of sound stage but the width is actually better. 

Lots of interesting replies. Simple answer is they are different designs and they do different things. Parts play a big part in sound quite usual although the old BEL amps were simple designs that sound great. Consider what parts in the designs produce sound starting with the transformers. These days custom made transformers are getting harder to find for audio applications. Quicksilver monos come to mind recently. Tube equipment can have many design variables like number of stages choke loaded  transformer coupled, tube retifcation, etc. That can impact the sound. Speakers, room treatments and cables do not impact the sound as much as the design of a component. That is why parts upgrades are so important for sonic improvement. Once you learn the differences that make sound do what it dies then you’ll be in a much better place to make decisions. Happy Listening

Just wondering about hybrid integrated amps like Macintosh MA352. Does that represent a best of both worlds solution? Or is that more of a gimmick?

One of the major factors on whether a tube amplifier sounds different than solid state is how well the respective amplifiers can generate increased current into low impedance loads. If the amps are connected to speakers that have low sensitivity and a demanding impedance curve the two types of amps will likely sound quite different.

First example is driving speakers like Wilsons or Thiels that can dip to around 2 ohms over part of their frequency response. These speakers were designed and voiced to be powered by beefy amps that can double their power with each halving of the impedance. My Krell KSA 300s puts out 300 watts into 8 ohms and 2400 watts into 2 ohms. It is driving Thiel CS6 speakers that dip to around 2 ohms in the mid bass with a demanding phase angle. A typical tube amp will simply not be able to drive these speakers so that they have a flat frequency response. In the frequencies where the impedance drops to a low level, the amp cannot provide the current to drive the speakers.

Second example is driving speakers from a company like DeVore that are designed to have a flat impedance curve and higher sensitivity. There are also many horn speakers that have this characteristic. For these kinds of speakers a high quality tube amp and solid state amp will sound much more similar.

My point is that besides the pleasant sound that some people ascribe to tubes, there can be a large frequency response difference between amplifiers depending on what type of speakers you are driving. You will never see a pair of big Wilson speakers driven by an SET amp at an audio show. They are driven by monster amps typically from D'Agostino. They were designed and voiced using these amps and they were willing to accept the high current requirements to achieve the sound they want. One can argue that tubes have more "bloom" or whatever, but there can be large, measureable, frequency response differences depending on what amp you use to power speakers with a demanding impedance curve.