solid state vs tubes

Mapman, I agree, the problem is this: distortion, in the form of exaggerated 5th, 7th and 9th harmonics (compared to the original sound) **masquerades** as 'dynamics'.

A simple way to tell that a system is lacking this distortion is that you can't tell how loud it is, until you find that you are shouting to talk to someone sitting right beside you.

Oh, and FWIW, soft clipping does not reduce the loudness cues. Its just more likely to not distort them as much. However clipping in any form is to be avoided, so we are talking about how the loudness cues may or may not get distorted when the system is not clipping at all.

I always chuckle when i here the great tube verses S.S. debate . The choice is simple , as long as you haven't made up your mind on one or the other . Bring home and try as many of both as you can , the one that sounds the best is the one . Its not the means its the results that are important to the true music lovers , I thought we all new that by now . MAX

Tmsorosk, this one was a little different as the OP wants a transistor amp that does what a tube amp does, without the hassle of tubes, if I read things right. There was a discussion of some differences between the technologies that you don't see in the usual debates.

Atmashere Sorry didn't mean to get off topic , it's an audiophile thing . I guess what I was trying to say , do we really want an amp or component thats trying to sound like another technology , or like real music ? MAx

Tmsorosk, I agree we want equipment to sound as much like real unamplified, acoustic instruments as possible (don't think amplified, electronic instruments have a real reference). Now if tubes happen (for arguments sake)to reproduce sound that has properties closer to unamplified, acoustic instruments in a real space compared to SS generally, then an SS that could be indistinguishable from a tube amps in those properties that make tube amps sound better, than I might very well want an SS amp like that, not becuase I care about the technology used, but all things being equal it does seem easier to own an SS amp, even if you have to give up the "joys" of tube rolling to alter the sonic signature of the amp - though even there, I tend to think a tube amp sounds like its circuit design far more than whatever tubes you happen to use. It seems that Nelson Pass, for one, has always tried to make SS amps that can perform like tube amps, which he decided not to make since he felt there were already alot of good tube amps out there and preferred the challenge of making good sounding SS (not that I know him, he sort of says things in his various amp manuals from the Aleph and XA.5 series). They certainly are excellent amps, are they indistinguisable from tube amps? Well, there are alot of Pass/First Watt owners out there that might be able to add their 2 cents on that....