Tubes vs Solid State

Zombie thread come back to eat your brains!

You don't have to know anything about the technology of tubes and transistors, or even the sound of them to know that something special is up with tubes. Tubes were declared obsolete about 55 years ago- they have now been around as obsolete technology for longer than they were the only game in town! If they really were obsolete there would be no market forces to cause new tube production facilities to be created but that has happened in the last 15 years or so.

The simple fact of the matter is that the market says there is a good reason for them to be here, decades after they should have been gone forever. We would not have these conversations otherwise!

Tubes are fascinating devices from an electrical engineering perspective but to the less technically educated masses, I think the fact that tubes glow and look cool have something to do with their longevity and cult following. Transistors are boring to look at as are CDs compared to vinyl. And don't even get me started about what file downloads look like. What could be more boring to look at than....nothing? :^)

Nice try Mapman, I'm just guessing that you haven't recently heard or listened to the best attributes that tube contribute to reproduced sound. I could say the same thing about my inexperience with Class D amplifiers. Not all tube amps nor class D "ice" amps are created equally, I've heard a few "ice" amps and while they can offer some of the attributes contributing to good sound they have not to date influenced me in any manner to prefer them over my amplifier. I know that what I am saying has nothing to do with whether they glow or not. First off, I can't even see the tubes in my amp as they are covered by a rather utilitarian perforated cover that doesn't reveal what's inside, they could be solid state, Class D or tube to a casual view. To me it all comes down to what works and sounds most convincing in a given system regardless of tube or SS. Your remarks are a bit more condescending than maybe your intent. After all, our ears should be the final arbitrator in this discussion/debate.

Tube,

My tubes are hidden in my ARC sp16. They sound really good but do their thing out of site. I'd like to see more of them if possible, but of well....

My mhdt Paradisea has 1 visible tube and a see through plexiglass case that lets the light shine through. Ahhh...

I like to see my tubes glow. ALways have been fascinated by that since just a kid. They look way cool!!!! I can get good sound many ways, but only tubes glow and look cool like tubes.

Call me shallow for liking how tubes glow, but hey, at least that helps make up for my boring looking OHM speakers.

I'd bet that if all tubes were hidden, they would not be as popular. Any takers.

TG, I think the The Map was just having some fun....RIGHT MAPMAN??!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ;-)

I remember an IEEE (I think) paper from many years ago that said, "The transistor is superior to the tube in every regard except one, the amplification of audio". Doesn't mean you can't screw it up and also some speakers will just do better with a ss amp.