Tube vs. Solid State Rectifier

Thanks for your thoughts and advice guys. Based on the response I got from my "New Audio Frontiers thread" I didn't even try to get specific. I appreciate it.

Basically in a class a or b amp you are listening to the power supply modualited by an input signal. in other words the powersupply is the floor and its supposed to be flat and level. IMO filtering makes more differnce. RALPH.....RALPH!!!

If your looking for punch and impact in the bass,solid state rectifiers may do.But if you like all the excellent highs,mid range and good bass that you could listen to all day,it usually takes tube rectification. Tube rectifiers give you all the pluses that most tube amplifier people look for.Tube rectification is my preferred way to go.

Also if you are new to tube amps,you may get by with solid state on a 300B,although I thought they leaned toward tube rectification.Mostly when you spend a lot of time with triode amps,you may end up with a tube rectifier in the long run to get more of that tube magic.The tube ones just see to get it all better.

If you end up preferring tube rectification over SS, the next question might be: then how much of a difference do different rectifier tubes make?

I have a Cary SLA-70 I bought here on Audiogon a couple of weeks ago that uses 5AR4 rectifiers. I have been listening to it almost non-stop since I got it. It came with some Chinese 5AR4's, and I did a little poking around on the net looking for opinions on how much of a difference rectifier tubes could make in the overall sound of an amp. From what I gleaned, I thought it might be worth a tube-roll on the 5AR4's to hear for myself, so I now have a pair of Amperex-branded Mullard 5AR4's on the way, and will report back to you on what kind of differences I hear - at least with these particular tubes in this particular amp.