2. amps-preamps
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When to go solid state vs. vacuum?

I am looking to upgrade my system into a good 2ch system (hopefully adding vinyl playback) but also being able to do nice HT sound.

I am currently working on new speaker considerations but it may be likely that they will benefit from a dedicated amp....how to choose which type and which one?

I have an integra dtr40.1 that has some very nice features and can function as my pre-amp, and using it that way may be a good place to start. That said, I am new and ignorant to most things regarding standalone amps. Where are vacuum tubes appropriate and where are slowed state appropriate? I have heard both and at least for music I prefer the vacuum tubes, is there any reason why they can't ideally be used for HT as well?

I realize this is a bit of a nebulous thread but I need a starting point.

Thx
kooshballa
lloydelee21
1,202 posts
 
HI K,

It is all a personal preference...there was a time (less so these days) when tubes were most often associated with beautiful midrange magic...so female jazz vocals, Enya (spaciousness). And SS was associated with tightfisted bass...much less the case these days.

one thing i will say is that SS has less day to day maintenance involved....tubes need replacing every few years and can sometimes requiring periodic re-biasing. Personally, i have used tubes in my system (preamp and digital)...and never regretted it after nearly 15 years straight. But i moved away from Tubed amplification as i wanted more power...but did not want the maintenance of replacing 12+ tubes. (My preamp has only 2 tubes).

So i run Tubed preamp with big SS amp.

As for home theater...i use my system for both...but i remain critical for music only, and simply wish for hometheater to have clarity and good tight bass for explosions, special effects. Tubes are fine for this, providing you have good bass. Today's latest tubed amps are quite powerful in bass and should be fine.

good luck. One man's experience. Feel free to post further questions...
pdreher's avatar
pdreher
1,208 posts
 
Tube amps are my preference by a wide margin. The best ss amp I owned (Plinius SA-102) was decent, but it failed to convey emotion the way similarly priced tube amps do. All other ss amps I've owned where disappointing (tired models from BAT, Simaudio, YBA, Musical Fidelity, Forte and a few others).

Not sure what your budget is, but a great beginner tube amp is the McIntosh MC-275 (about $3,200 used). Great sound, dependable and power exceeding it's 75 wpc rating.
peterayer
1,382 posts
 
I suggest you go and listen to a bunch of speakers in your price range and a few above it and a good local dealership. Select the speakers and then select an amp to drive that particular speaker in your particular room and at the volume level that you prefer. You should be able to hear the differences between SS and tubes on a good pair of speakers. Once you have decided on the speakers and know what their requirements are, you may want to ask the question again. But that is how I would start the process. It should be fun so enjoy it.
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