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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 mrtennis

mrtennis OP
3,295 posts
 
i think the differences between vintage tube amps and especially the cj mv 125 and current tube amps , excluding set amps, is greater than the difference between current tube amps and solid state amps.

i think what has happened over the last 25 years is the discontuance of an identifiable tueb sound. yes you may call it coloration. in its place, is a presentation closer to accuracy--perhaps still some audible coloration.

i have heard some current cj, audio research, wolcott, granite audio, consonance etc., current tube amps and walked away thinking... "it almost sounds like solid state. why ? "

isn't there some advantage for having designs which sound significantly different from each other so that the consumer has a real choice. the overall variation in sound today within tube designs, within ss designs and between tube and ss designs, again, excluding triode and low powered set amps
is not as great as it was 20 years ago.
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