Switched From Tubes To SS???Glad You Did???

"There is both good and less-than-good tube gear out there...”
"It is really just a function of which sonic trade-offs you can live with..."

Robsker - Those are very valid points, but I think it’s equally valid to state that the higher the quality of tube gear and tubes that we’re talking about, the more those trade-offs diminish.

"I enjoy tube swapping as a user friendly tone change vehicle...”

Wolf - Tubes can certainly serve that purpose, but higher quality tubes, properly matched with the circuit and each other, can have a much more profound impact than merely altering tones. IMO, that’s where the real opportunity is to achieve the speed, dynamics and all those other goodies associated with solid state.

I suppose I should be more succinct in my description of tube swapping benefits...I meant it changes the SOUND. I think replacing the 6550s in my amp with KT120s made it snappier...although I'm not sure, but I am sure I'm not interested in it sounding like a solid state amp particularly. It did make me feel better so there's that.

I tried unsuccessfully to switch back to SS three different times.

Shakey

Hi Wolf,
I think what you said was fine, and I agree that different tube sets will change the sound of your amplifier. I was just trying to expand on your post by adding that the right tube swap can actually result in a remarkable, across the board, improvement in your amp’s performance.

Just got my (2nd) Linn Classik as a back up for when tubes go out. Good sound and versatile, but no way I'll go back to SS. It just can't compare even though it sounds good to me...just not nearly as good.