Tubes vs Solid State - Imaging, Soundstaging, 3D

"You are confusing taste (for which there is no accounting) with actual perceptual rules, which vary over the entire population by about 1%. IOW there is a big difference here."

Hmmm, not sure how far "rules" get you in lieu of "tastes" when it comes to people. I would expect one to reflect the other to some extent in general. Case by case, anything is possible.

I think another and more modern study might be called for. Technology has changed a lot over the years and peoples buying habits are the main driver. Maybe the rules get followed these days in more cases than one might thing otherwise.

I can only speak for my self. My system has NF applied and I am digging it! Then again, I am a bit of a rebel at heart. I might actually like breaking a rule or two now and then. :^)

Atmasphere, I suspect you are somewhat of a rebel at heart as well! I respect that!

All electronic components have a certain amount of noise associated with them that is additive through out the sytem. Look at the specifications of any device, solid state or tube and there are specs for the noise associated with that component. Therefore, signal or no signal, the circuit in questions will have some noise. Whether the gain in the circuit is there or not, there is noise, regardless of whether you can here it. It is measurable. The noise floor is there period. gain is added if gain devices are present and more noise is added if grounding is not good or ground loops are present. So, start off with a specific amount of noise (noise floor) of the device under test. It is there regardless. Connect this device to others and the other device's noise is also added. now you have system noise. For example. CD transport has noise A, DAC has noise B, Pre-amp has noise C, amplifiers have noise D. The total noise will be A+B+C+D. And if you have bad grounds or power line noise, then that adds also. Also, regardless of tube or solid state, a competent Engineer/Designer will design based on the noise, gain, input impedance, output impedance, load, etc. They pick electronic devices based on the load/gain characteristics and also based on the specified noise of the device. But, you get what you pay for. You want terrific gain/impedance devices? you want really low noise devices? you want devices that operate from DC to light? well, you will pay for it. This is also why some electronics costs soooo much.

enjoy

A rebel? Perhaps.
A businessman first and foremost.

Techno babbalo obfuscaturo amundo is definitely what's going on here. Because the question remains...is 'El tubo harmonico supremo? What are we talking about? NF vs. no NF, tubes vs. ss, or a whole host of variations in between? There's a lot of options here, never mind the degrees of implementation and where. There's also a lot of amps out there, the majority of which most or all of us have not auditioned or will ever. How much of an influence has the marketplace had on those we have indeed auditioned? I'm here taking up space and I'm telling everyone here that there are aspects of performance that trump the so-called obvious differences between tube and ss amps, rendering them absolutely moot. It just so happens that it's more difficult and takes more skill to design a good ss amp than it does to design a good tube amp. Hence the constant allusion to tubes by the ss market. The ratio is higher for tubes than for ss. I've heard bigger differences among ss amps than between tubes and ss. Ime tube amps sound more alike than do ss amps. That doesn't make them 'better'. It simply reveals a wider playing field within ss topologies.