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Solid State for Rock and Tubes for Jazz, Yes or No

I love Solid State for most music but I do think Tubes are great for Jazz and Classical. Maybe we should have one each!
donplatt
mapman's avatar
mapman
22,748 posts
 
Charles,

What I have seen/heard to date with sets is consistent with your assessment and I would tend to agree.

Rock music is meant to be played/heard loud but some may not care for that so it is not an issue then.

Of course peaks on orchestral and even big band jazz recordings for example can get pretty loud, but from what I have heard, SET power may not be as big an issue there for most.

I have heard some orchestral recordings with convincing dynamics on at least one very high efficiency horn system using what I recall to be fairly low powered (but very expensive) Audio Note tube amps (not sure if these were SET or not though).
wolf_garcia
6,769 posts
 
I love the absolute distinction of how "rock" music is supposed to be heard. Classical music is supposed to be heard acoustically while surrounded with smelly old people in one of thousands of seat location options in a packed concert hall, and jazz is supposed to be enjoyed through a haze of cigarette smoke and waitress yammer while seated behind a hipster glued to his iPhone that's not supposed to exist in 1959. I've been a professional musician since 1967, I mix live shows from Richie Havens to Bill Charlap (in November...and it will sound GREAT using stereo condenser mics and a zero compression full range system), my band opened for a Led Zepplin show on the second half of their first tour, and I've worked in recording studios all over the place. All that and I will never claim that my gear is "genre sensitive" or it's OUTTA HERE.
mapman's avatar
mapman
22,748 posts
 
"I will never claim that my gear is "genre sensitive" or it's OUTTA HERE. "

I hear you and feel the same way in that I listen to all kinds of music and want it all to be completely satisfying to me all the time, soft, loud or whatever (recording permitting, but that is a different story).

Having it all usually comes at a cost. Its not uncommon to compromise on certain things if not important. We all do it to some extent I suppose since it seems there is always more out there that we seek.

I personally have some reservations about perhaps the most flea powered of SET amps with most any speakers that I have heard at least, to do this practically, but I suspect most any other amp suitably set up and matched to system can deliver the goods.
charles1dad's avatar
charles1dad
10,250 posts
 
Wolf,
I think enough people with SET experience have said often that they feel no need to limit what types of music they listen.I include myself in that group without question, but no amplifier or any component does it all. Even if a system performs well across the musical board it won`t be the absolute best at everything, that simply not realistic.

SET can reproduce rock music very well but someone seeking the ultimate rock oriented system then SET would not likely be their first choice to build around. I can`t name any amplifier type that would reproduce 'all' genre of music in the very best fashion without some compromise somewhere along the way.For mapman`s priorities his current system(high power class D amps) may serve him best when all is taken into consideration.For me with different objectives/desires maybe not.That`s the beauty of choice in the marketplace of high end audio.

SET works out fabulously for me but it would`nt for others.
Regards,
wolf_garcia
6,769 posts
 
My belabored and by now tedious point is that dynamics and slam and full range are not mutually exclusive relative to genre. If your system is capable of reasonably reproducing low notes, high notes, and middle notes, you should be happy. Skrillex is not going to borrow my rig for his next gig, and there is no place in my listening room for 2000 watt 18" woofers. Unless I move the coffee table.
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