Anyone permanently convert from tubes to SS?

Hello Guido,

I am not the expert in classifications. For example you use terms class D / class T and I believe that the later is just invention of the marketing division of currently defunct Tripath corporation. Read about the subject in the article by Bruno Putzeys, Chief Engineer Class D Audio at Philips Digital Systems Labs: http://www.audioholics.com/techtips/audioprinciples/amplifiers/digital_classD_amplifiers.html

If you are amazed "if class D or T switching amps are not solid state..." then its your burden to prove that they are solid state amps not mine.

In my mind, difference between tube and transistor amps is only in what device is used for amplification: tube or transistor. (Both incedently can use diode rectifier in power supply). From all class D amps I know - not a single uses transistor or tube as amplification device.

I thought that the author of the thread did not care if display, say for example, run by transistors or horses or whatever.

I thought the thread is about SONIC characteristics such as dynamic range, type of distortions of both types of the amps.

I frankly do not care about anything else but sound; and YES current Spectron Musician III Mk2 sounds like the best tube amplifiers in the world and with iron clad control over speakers which a very few solid state show and yet does not have any in its signal path or power supply (except diode-rectifier).

Also if you noted Spectron advertises its amps, here on Audiogon BOTH in solid state AND tube amplfier sections.

I am out of this discussion.

All The Best
Rafael

If it has no moving parts it is a solid state device. A tube amp moves electrons though a vacuum. An LCD TV is a solid state device a CRT is not. An integrated circuit is a solid state device a hard drive is not. Whether or not it is decreed by congress or myself is immaterial. So...?

No. I have three two channel systems. One uses a tube amp and SS preamp, the other uses a brute, class A SS amp with a tube preamp, and the third uses a SS amp and tube pre-amp. They all sound different but I like all three. I love the rounded, warm, involving Music Reference tube amp sound coming through my modified, stellar, and cheap Parasound pre-amp. I also "love" the sound of my Vincent (Sheng Ya) 300 wpc monoblocks coming through my glorious, heavily modified Air-Tight tube preamp. Not sure which I would pick if forced - so since I am not forced, I don't pick.

Rwwear, you bring up a good point. . . seems though that, in the common lore, SS has ended up denoting almost any circuit with no major moving mechanical, electronecanical, electromagnetic, optomagnetic, parts, no vacuum tubes, and no old style ferrite core memory. So, where do we place switching amps in the taxonomy?
Guido

I can live with the Class A Pass Aleph and XA.5 series of amps - they are the best SS I've heard, though I suspect I would also like the Ayre gear as well. I own an Aleph J, but will always keep a tube amp as my primary amplifier. Having both is good, but if I could only have one, it would still be tubes.