differences between tube and solid state designs


this topic may have been beaten to death.

however, my experience attending ces shows has demonstrated to my eras that the differences between push pull tube and solid state amplifiers sound very similar.

i notice today's tube amps, e.g., contad johnson, audio research, wolcott audio, etc., do not exhibit many of the classic colorations associated with tube designs and sound a lot like solid state, especially with respect to frequency response, i.e., spectral balance.

there may be still be slight audible differences between the 2 formats.

has anyone perceived a narrowing of sonic differences between the two designs and if so if differences are slight, why buy a tube amp.

note, i have deliberately excluded class a and single ended amps, at low wattage, from this discussion. some of them have more of a vintage or classic tube sound, especially relative to bass and treble response.
mrtennis

Showing 1 response by larryi

Trelja,

I think you nailed it perfectly describing what tubes can do better than solid state. I do enjoy systems based on solid state amps, but NONE can, so far, deliver what a good tube amp can deliver.

Unfortunately, there are a lot more BAD tube amps than good tube amps. I don't know why people buy those huge, high-powered tube amps that attempt to deliver the kind of power that can more easily be delivered by solid state when they give up all of that "breath of life" that tubes deliver (note: I am not referring to OTLs).

I think that the "convergence" a lot of people talk about has to do with the taming of the obvious negative qualities of solid state sound (brittleness, edginess, etc), but, to me, what is left is sound that is flat and lifeless compared to low-powered triodes.