Tubes vs. SS

The better the tube unit and the better the SS unit being compared, the smaller the difference. I would say that in the uber units there is very little difference (assuming they both can handle the speaker loads).

I believe that when you start buying amps and preamps for the "character" of the sound, you're headed in the wrong directions.

Dave

Dcstep
Interesting people think tubes are still selling due to people want to pay for NOS and units that sound a certain sonic signature, yet like to argue they should all sound nearly the same if juxtaposed to a top grade solid state?

Very strange, trust me if I did not want it to sound like Tube sound, Euphonic etc... And okay bad word "COLOR" the sound than whats the point?

I would also suggest 99% of the people reasoning with attempting tubes and or even posting these types of questions is because they are looking for that character and really in the end something different than "Perfect reference" sound or any supposed "run of the mill" sound that all units should produce at a certain price level..

They obviously do it for purposes of pursuing a different musical presentation.. So I totally disagree a great unit should basically sound the same or close the gap between each other. Which if that was the case why would any one waste their time and money with tuning the sound via tubes and all the issues that go along with it?

This is the only reason I mentioned Rogue in general can have a more hifi solid state character vs. somebody looking to have a more "Tube" sound which in general is a bigger, more dynamic, yet warmer and "Halo" type sound of glass. Thats why I think this original poster might be a slight bit disappointed in his findings and most others that state such questions.

If this is a brand new unit, you need to give this preamp some time to break in before making any judgments on it's sound quality.

Good points Undertow. Some of the "high-end" tube amps and pre-amps are, indeed, very colored, but some, like ARC, are very neutral and open. I agree that many, no matter their budget, never outgrow the need for a warmer signature than neutral, with a good dose of even-order distortion thrown in to boot. That's valid, so I guess I am mistaken to say that's "the wrong direction." It's wrong for me, but lots of people happily inhabit that territory.

So, I guess what I'm trying to do is make it clear for "newbies" that some of the very best tube equipment has almost no color. Despite that, at any budget point, you can also choose very colored tube equipment. When SS designers try to "voice" their equipment, I generally think they're less successful.

I tend to be drawn to higher end SS devices because of my desire for neutrality.

Dave

Start experimenting with different tubes in your pre amp.