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TUBE AMP LOVERS - What SS amp makes you smile???

I'm looking for input from tube amp lovers that have switched from tube to solid state amplifiers and not looked back.

What tube amp did you move on from?

What SS amp provided the same level of musicality, keeping you smiling for the long-haul?

Thanks.
barrelchief
geoffkait's avatar
geoffkait
23,365 posts
 
Sorry to burst anyone's bubble but there is no such thing as a SS amp that sounds like a tube amp. If you believe there is I have some Florida swampland to sell you. It's simply one of those oh, wouldn't that be nice beliefs.
cymbop
315 posts
 
I'm a tube guy for sure, and Ayre is one of the only solid-state brands I've heard at shows that consistently pleases my ears.
mikey8811
259 posts
 
I am considering Ayre but have heard reports that they sound lean compared to Pass or even the older class A Krells (which are by no means tubey sounding). Friends tell me the midrange is very natural sounding and clear but lacks body. True?
abucktwoeighty's avatar
abucktwoeighty
1,079 posts
 
My Pass Labs X250.8 makes me smile every time I turn it on.
pdreher's avatar
pdreher
1,200 posts
 
I've owned a Plinius SA-102 and an Ayre V1XE, both of which are respectable, decent sounding SS amps. However, neither of them could provide the enjoyment of the better tube amps I've owned from VAC and McIntosh.
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