Tube Sound vs.Transistor Sound, Again

[Grasshopper]

I like my tube pre and solid state amp as well.

The maintenance of tube amps is not something that excites me. Perhaps someday I’ll give it a shot, but for now, I prefer the easy path to tubes with it as the preamp.

[sonduciel]

Having had solid state systems for nearly fifty years of listening, I bought my first tube amp earlier this year. I really think a lot depends on subjective preferences. But, although there are some things SS generally does better, I have to say, for pure musical pleasure of just listening to the music and being happy, *I LOVE TUBES*. (Line Magnetic 34 integrated, 12AX7, 12AU7 pair, 4 EL34s, and a quad of KT77's on the way.)

[PeterMusic]

Originally Posted by PHC1

bathed by the warm, romantic and engaging sound that was so pleasant to the ear.

Originally Posted by PHC1

I have heard and lived with $200 tube amps for years with great satisfaction. I could not live with any budget solid state...

Thank you for the beautifully expressed sentiment in the first post. I'm sure you agree that the OP will not really go back to SS in the Summer

On the second quote--this is interesting to me. I bought my tubes when I fell in love with the sound and feeling, but assumed I was paying a premium price versus a comparable SS. It had not occurred to me that a budget tube amp was possible.

[PHC1]

Originally Posted by PeterMusic

Thank you for the beautifully expressed sentiment in the first post. I'm sure you agree that the OP will not really go back to SS in the Summer

On the second quote--this is interesting to me. I bought my tubes when I fell in love with the sound and feeling, but assumed I was paying a premium price versus a comparable SS. It had not occurred to me that a budget tube amp was possible.

Yes, there were a few "budget" friendly, good sounding tube preamps and amps to be purchased. I am going back nearly 20 years now of course. These guys may still be around, not sure and of course the prices have doubled since then but when was the last time you saw prices like this? http://www.divertech.com/aslwaveav20dt.htm

[George Prentice]

I gravitated to tube preamps for my main system and for office and my headphone systems. But stayed away from tubed amps because I liked speakers requiring very high current and I really like high reliability and not having to play with my equipment to keeping it working correctly (biasing). As soon as I saw the new Audio Research 160m a couple years ago I knew finally it was time. No biasing and longer tube life. I am really happy I finally got there, my system sounds better by large measure than ever before.

Also I still remember the wonderful warm sound of music coming out of the tube mono console radio that was in my bedroom in the mid ‘60s. I would have to turn it down to a whisper so my parents could not hear that I was still awake. The sound was so wonderfully warm and musical. Never forgot it. I am guessing it was built in the ‘50s.

[gadawg]

Originally Posted by PHC1

Take any budget tube amp and connect it to a pair of speakers it is comfortable driving. What you will get is a musical, perhaps an overly colorful presentation due to budget components of lesser resolving capabilities.

Take a budget solid state amp and do the same test. What you get is typically a very cold and sterile presentation lacking any tonal density or harmonic beauty.

I have heard and lived with $200 tube amps for years with great satisfaction. I could not live with any budget solid state...


Take a vintage tube amp from the earliest period, again with speakers appropriate for that vintage tube amp. Now take the earliest solid state of the late 60s/early 70's and tell me what sound like music and what doesn't

What if you take current state of the art Solid State and compare it to current state of the art Tube gear? The DartZeel SS stuff sounds pretty darn good ... wish I could afford it! LOL

That said I agree that budget tube gear generally blows away budget SS gear.

George

[PHC1]

Originally Posted by gadawg

What if you take current state of the art Solid State and compare it to current state of the art Tube gear? The DartZeel SS stuff sounds pretty darn good ... wish I could afford it! LOL

That said I agree that budget tube gear generally blows away budget SS gear.

George

I've owned solid state that never once made me think of tubes. D'Agostino Momentum Monos. They had everything I was looking for with Wilson Alexia speakers. Liquid midrange, harmonically rich, tonally well balanced with proper weight as well as extended on both ends of the spectrum without any solid state negative traits that were apparent. Of course their cost was also let's say appropriate for performance, as far as audio goes.

What's a state of the art tube amp? Price wise the AudioNote/Kondo at over $200k for a very limited amp is perhaps state of the art and with appropriate speakers, I would imagine it does sound magical.

There are monstrous tube amps as well, for various purposes and large speakers like the VTL Siegfried monos. Tetrode: 650W, Triode 330W.

Hard to say, at the end of the day it still boils down to personal preference and the presentation that connects better with your ears.

There is no standard or frame of reference or a universal gauge of what is right, what is wrong. Just our ears and the music.

[bart]

I've heard 2 x 6 W tube integrated amps that sounded magical with very sensitive speakers.
You don't need monster amps to get great sound.

I wouldn't say no to a full reference solid state MBL set though.

[PHC1]

Originally Posted by bart

I've heard 2 x 6 W tube integrated amps that sounded magical with very sensitive speakers.
You don't need monster amps to get great sound.

I wouldn't say no to a full reference solid state MBL set though.

Bart, even better, one of each for the different rooms and still having a dozen more rooms for future systems as the inspiration comes. Oh and a butler to serve tea or something a bit stronger while listening.

[Formerly YB-2]

Originally Posted by PHC1

........... a pair of stand mounted Soliloquy speakers. Once again, simplicity rules and it is all about the magic of music.

Soliloquy 5.0, no doubt. Very easy to drive. I used with a McIntosh MA6100 back in the previous century and was a good match, as they were with tubes. Soliloquy started out as the speaker arm of Cary before it was moved out on its own (for whatever reason). A very nice sound.