I appreciate all the comments. Ralph, my experience is that tubes are just noisier than solid state. Admittedly I do not listen to music with my ear 4 inches from the tweeter, but I have to tell you, at that close range I always heard a hiss through the speakers and now with SS (I'll give a plug- Pass Labs) it's dead silent. I have to think that has to make a difference.
10 years ago when I went to tubes, I found tubes a relief. SS was just too 'hard' but my impression is that the best of tube sound and the best of SS sound is truly converging.
Maybe this is going to be viewed, at some time in the future, as the golden age of audio. Truly mature vinyl at many price points, excellent digital, especially high res, excellent amplification even at modest costs and amazing speakers at price points unimaginable a generation ago.
10 years ago when I went to tubes, I found tubes a relief. SS was just too 'hard' but my impression is that the best of tube sound and the best of SS sound is truly converging.
Maybe this is going to be viewed, at some time in the future, as the golden age of audio. Truly mature vinyl at many price points, excellent digital, especially high res, excellent amplification even at modest costs and amazing speakers at price points unimaginable a generation ago.