Tubes vs. solid state.

Great conversation guys !

I have heard great music out of both, but SS works for me with my current system. SE tubes are the Best of the Genre IMO, but they are usually not enuff to drive the large speakers i always find myself gravitating towards. So for me Tubes will not work in my setup, nothing to do with better or best , more horses for courses.

Atma:

Great input and discussion on NF and it's effect. very similar effect when comparing digital to analog. why do so many find dragging a diamond nail thru vinyl grooves to sound better ... Technically poor , yet ultimately it is the best for sound, of course with that perfect setup and recording.

Digital with all of it's clever bits and bytes and superior duplicating ability has it flaws , but captures music differently , what it does well it does better than analog and same for analog, hence same for SS and tubes...

Good SS recreates the dynamics, and energy of live music that Tubes can't , tubes recreate the intimacy and nuances of live music that SS can't, while they both do all of the above to some degree, that is there apparent strengths and weakness's IMO.

regards,

PS: Ohhh, stay away from SS manufacturers who try to make their equipment sound like tubes , i find those to be the worst of the genre.

Dr Herbert Melcher (famous in the world of neurochemistry) has done some recent studies that show that the more an audio playback system violates human perceptual rules, the more the processing moves from the limbic system to the cerebral cortex.

Provocative position, Ralph. Given the "perceptual rules" and their "violation" I'm left to contemplate whether this explains, to some degree, why "analytical" systems may be described as transparent and "emotionally" engaging systems may be characterized as organic.

Best,
Sam

I was under the same inpression, but after selling my juicypeach and buying a resolution audio cd50 and connecting it directly to a belles 1 power amp it is amazing the detail I was missing and this setup is not at all harsh sounding, I am truly shocked! because I love the sound of guitar tube amps.

Hi Sam, IME the most transparent systems I have heard are also some of the more relaxed, but of course I have heard many systems wherein 'transparent' equates to 'analytical'.

This has to do with the types of distortion the system makes. If the higher ordered odd harmonics are not being enhanced (distorted), **and** if the system is also lacking on lower ordered distortions, then it will be both transparent and easy going. Believe it or not there really are not very many ways to do that: somehow you have to get rid of distortion without using feedback. It can be done, but those that have accomplished it are few.

I think you are right in the emotionally engaging systems also having an 'organic' quality. IMO music itself has an organic quality- the fullness of reality- and if a stereo is violating basic human perceptual rules there seems to me no way the system will be 'organic', emotional and transparent all at once.

Ralph I was wondering your opinion on tube dampers and if you are a fan of them?