Buying either SS or tubes in and of themselves will have no guarantees. Not all tube designs are good as not all SS designs are good. They have to match with the speaker. Generally tubes are more musical IMHO, but not always. Try first and be open minded. With low efficency speakers, good SS is a great option. With high efficency speakers, low power tube amps are glorious in well matched systems.
Does SS cost more than HS for superior sound?
I sure hope I’m saying this right… I may be off the mark a bit….. Money talks… money matters as well, perhaps now more so than ever before.
For a while now I’ve been hearing or keep hearing, and in part am finding out for myself by acquiring this amp and that here and there, in order to obtain an equivalancy in audio refinement a SS amp will cost far more than will a tube amp when seeking out a natural, organic, or more dense and lifelike sounding presentation.
To me it seems less expensive a task to acquire these elements with tube amps and preamps, than with the likewise solid state products.
EX could be one will find far more bright sounding SS amps than one will find bright sounding tube amps, indicating extension isn’t all it could be in the world of sand only products.
I have heard repeatedly solid state appliances that are cool, dry, and uninvolving yet quite expensive.
I’ve not heard all of those characteristics in tube powered devices, although I have heard not long ago very pricey tube amps I simply wouldn’t buy with someone else’ money…. Yet they weren’t dry or lifeless, but they didn’t captivate.
Also I’ve never heard a tube preamp or amp that was prone to listener fatigue.
OR… could this possibly be more a matter of preferential requirements, and merely the age old subject of taste?