Tubes/SS Power Amps?

When I first heard the Bel Canto ref1000m monoblocks in my system as a replacement for Musical Fidelity A3CR amp that ran largely Class A I believe, the sound was stunningly different in every way. PErhaps the single biggest difference I have ever heard switching components. IT was like a simulated reproduction of the music had been replaced with something much more resembling the real thing. I thought the bass was gone at first until I was able to get tuned back in. Then it was there in spades and way more dimensional, articulate and controlled than ever, which seemed to enable all the rest to be revealed much better than before as well. It seemed like a thick layer of distortion that existed prior was removed. I did not know what to make of it at first, but I quickly realized I could now turn the volume up much louder than prior without any discomfort or fatigue, and the music just seemed to continue to expand naturally rather than making me want to stop. One of my more shocking audiophile moments for sure.

Driving my tube amp is one of the places where it really differs from SS amps I've owned...it gets rounder with a still listenable tone at highish levels, and that works for me somehow...my sub is SS though, and it just has to be turned down to compensate, as I'm not insane. Or maybe I am.

Orpheus10, just FWIW if you think we can't see the frame rate at a movie theatre, go see the Hobbit and then go see the HFR (High Frame Rate) version of it!

One thing that Class A tubes have over Class D is bandwidth. How about full power -1/2db at 150KHz, only 2 db down at 300KHz? Some might argue that class D (and for that matter, traditional transistor technology) have more current (and they would be right) but the question is 'Is that important?'

The correct answer is no. High current ability is not particularly important. Why? First, look at the specs of any transistor amp, any class D amp, in particular the distortion spec into 4 ohms. You will see that the distortion is higher into 4 ohms than it is into 8 or 16 (likely the 16 ohm distortion will not be spec'ced, but it is lower...).

To put this more clearly, if you want to have the system to sound smoother and more detailed, even if you have solid state, that will be easier if you are driving a higher impedance. This is because that increased distortion (driving lower impedances) will mask detail and come off as brightness. This is the difference between a good hifi and a music system that sounds like real music- the lack of electronic artifact.

Now, on top of that, about 50 years ago tubes were being declared obsolete, much like vinyl LPs were in the 1980s. The fact that tubes are still very much a part of the audio marketplace is not some sort of fluke- they are still here because they are still popular half a century on. This is the more telling fact actually. If tubes were really obsolete they would have been gone decades ago. In fact these days its easier to find old tubes than it is to find old obsolete semiconductors...

Mapman, normally, the cost and weight of an amp that generates that much power, is prohibitive. Since I've never auditioned such a powerful amp, I have no way of evaluating the effect of that much power on the audio; I'm sure it was quite different.

My best audiophile moments are with 2 track reel to reel. While I thought they made all recordings better, they make bad recordings worse; but in the case of good CD's or LP's, the playback is always better than the original source. "Better" does not mean different, but bigger, and in the case of CD's they sound more like audiophile LP's. I imagine this might be the same effect as a more powerful amp. The reel causes the sound stage to fill the room more completely with the same amp.

500 watts into 8 ohms for a 19 lb amp is unbelievable. There are so many factors involving a class D amp that make them worth considering, and if I ever have a desire for power hungry speakers, I'll know which amp to choose.

I'm of the "first watt" school...if an amp is well designed and used properly it can sound amazing, regardless of the wattage, cost, or type. Speaker impedance matching is key of course, and if you expect to fill a gigantic room to sweaty disco levels with a 2 watt amp, you shouldn't be here. Good tube amps generally aren't breaking a sweat at strong listening levels, and I agree with Atmasphere about classic design service issues...where was I supposed to get IBGT transistors for my trusty old Forte' 55? (I was never 100% sure what transistors were in that thing anyway)