The difference between tubes and solid state that I am finding

In the seventies/eighties the difference between SS and tube was night and day.  Today, not as much. MOSFET and GAN transistors are so much warmer than the PNP or NPN transistors of yesterday: currently I have three amplifiers. One has a SS input section and a tube output.  One that has a tube input and a SS output and the third is all Solid State.  They all sound different, but they all sound good.  

These videos compare an 80WPC P/P KT-88 Melton with no feedback used in the circuitry vs a Yamaha RZ-Z9 Receiver in "Pure Direct" mode.  From my understanding, no feedback leads to a "softer" treble, and that is certainly obvious here.

Every amp is just a bit different, and there would be more variation in tube amps than solid state, so take it for what it’s worth.

All levels are within a couple tenths of a dB using pink noise.  While the difference is instantly obvious, you need a good set of monitors or headphones to appreciate all the nuances.

These are recorded on a Nikon D750 DSLR and no eq or room correction, either electronic or physical is used.

Pull them up in two browsers simultaneously and go back and forth for the best comparison.  This is something you would never be able to do at home or in a shop using the actual equipment and shows just one of the values of YouTube.

https://youtu.be/HTxZJBoOywM

https://youtu.be/FDIu2BFbt-Q

https://youtu.be/W66SQS1wDUA

https://youtu.be/ZxhDJ_eOlYw

Started with SS McIntosh 1.25kwh mono blocs and McIntosh SS pre and really missed the detail and nuances of my music.  I went to all Tubes with Audio Research Ref160S amp, Ref6SE pre, PH9 phono stage, and Nagra Tube Dac.  Had that set up for about 3 years and went back to SS with Burmester Reference amp, pre amp, and phono stage but kept the Nagra Tube Dac.  I feel like each change has resulted in a significant positive change.  Also, I think some of the higher end SS offers better detail and character over any tube set up I have heard. I’m done, at least for now. 

I had what many consider one of the better tube preamps in my 2nd system. I thought it sounded superb. But, it didn’t have a remote - though I could have had the factory add one and I found the resistor ladder on the volume a bit course for my taste. But, there’s no question of the sound quality. Again - superb.

But, I sold it and purchased a higher end solid state preamp. Candidly, while it sounds a bit different, they’re actually pretty close. The preamp I purchased is known for tonal density. It’s a bit quieter (naturally) and offers a bit more resolution.

My takeaway is that both topologies work well and the sonic gap between better units has narrowed considerably. My new preamp lacks for nothing though I do miss the nostalgia of my former unit. But even the most ardent tube lover would likely find nothing more to want in the solid state unit I have.

@woots 

Yes Burmeister is all about detail.