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Tube vs solid state (with all apologies)

So… I’ve been building guitar amps for a few years… and very familiar with tubes and circuitry…  and just entering the audiophile world. 
Is there a definitive opinion or discussion somewhere for help in determining where and or when to apply either?
smolder

Showing 1 response by williewonka

williewonka
3,067 posts
 
@smolder -

If you get the RIGHT tube amp (and there are many) you will be happy
  • you can try different tubes - tube rolling - to tailor the sound
  • Manley make some nice amps, but there are many others
  • My foray into tubes was a disaster, but I relied on the retailer - not good,
  • tubes can be amazing, but they do get quite hot
  • Ask for opinions on this forum for brands
Solid State - again, choose wisely
  • I chose a NAIM amp once and while I liked the sound very much, having to replace all the caps after 10 years I thought was unreasonable
  • I now own a Bryston, which comes with a 20 year warranty (i.e. from the date of manufacture) and it has a similar tone to the NAIM, which I like a lot, but with more details, clarity and punch
  • There are several solid state designs now available, e.g. high current and symmetrically balanced - each have their quirks
  • Some high current solid state amps do not like speaker cables that have a high capacitance, which can result in component failure - tubes do not suffer from this problem
  • again, there are many awesome solid state amps out there, so ask for opinions on this forum for brands
Cables are important, perhaps more so with solid state amps.
  • power cables can make a difference, but as you move up in amp quality, you have to also use higher quality cables
  • Speaker cables can make or break the sound of any amp and can impact dynamics, details, clarity and imaging, so choose them wisely and you’ll save a bundle
  • Since you’ve built amps you might want to take a look at this link for DIY cables - My Audio Alchemy (image99.net) - BTW, if you have any questions just ask

If possible get out to stores and listen for yourself - I trust my ears much more than magazine reviews. And don’t be afraid to ask them to connect different amps and speakers.
  • I have no shame in requesting that a $600 bluesound streamer be connected to an $80,000 system. It sounded very nice :-)

Good luck with your quest - there is no right or wrong - just as long as you are happy :-)

Regards - Steve



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