There are a lot of different ways to audio satisfaction. I wouldn't say I was ever a tube aficionado, but I did own a number of tube components over the years--more out of curiosity with the flavor of sound than anything else--but, alas, I've turned to the "dark side," aka solid state. I now have an amp that can do most of the tube tricks and has none of the traditional drawbacks, and my SS digital front end is very natural sounding as well. I just got tired of the usual tube hassles, and though it took me a while to find SS gear as musically satisfying and enjoyable as the best tube gear, I think I've finally found it. Color me a happy camper.
from solid state to tube
Hi all, it's probably a strange question but are there audiophiles who have been tube aficionados for quite a while but are now being converted to solid state? The other way around is a more common phenomenon: audiophiles who have been listening to solid state and are being converted to tubes in a late (final?) stage of their audio evolution. Some say that single ended amplification + high sensitivity speakers are the key to musical nirvana. To them the Soul of Music is then freed at last from the electro-mechanic hardware.