Tubes vs Solid State

Take a look at the new Rogue tube Class D hybrid amps with the B&Ws.

Tube,

My tubes are hidden in my ARC sp16. They sound really good but do their thing out of site. I'd like to see more of them if possible, but of well....

My mhdt Paradisea has 1 visible tube and a see through plexiglass case that lets the light shine through. Ahhh...

I like to see my tubes glow. ALways have been fascinated by that since just a kid. They look way cool!!!! I can get good sound many ways, but only tubes glow and look cool like tubes.

Call me shallow for liking how tubes glow, but hey, at least that helps make up for my boring looking OHM speakers.

I'd bet that if all tubes were hidden, they would not be as popular. Any takers.

Tubes are fascinating devices from an electrical engineering perspective but to the less technically educated masses, I think the fact that tubes glow and look cool have something to do with their longevity and cult following. Transistors are boring to look at as are CDs compared to vinyl. And don't even get me started about what file downloads look like. What could be more boring to look at than....nothing? :^)

"TG, I think the The Map was just having some fun....RIGHT MAPMAN??!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

IF you can't have some fun with cool looking glowy things like tubes, what is there to live for?

Well, I have received a few shocks and burns over the years from gadgets with tubes in them, but I do not blame the tubes for making me want to touch and play around with them. Kinda like women... :-)

Wolf,

I like the way you think!

VU meters also glow and are way cool!!! I do miss them also. My squeezebox Touch devices have a VU AND a graphic Equalizer display mode, but I can only use one mode at a time. I need two SBs so I can have all those pretty lights glowing and flashing along with the tube in the DAC, which normally ONLY glows and does not flash. If it flashes, I think that is a bad thing??

Maybe audiophiles truly have evolved and matured to the extent now where glitz, lights and bling does not matter as much anymore as in the past, and Wolf and I are good examples of throwbacks to our more "neanderthal" days?

Nah. The audiophiles have evolved part that is, not the throwbacks part.

Spartan modern gear is largely vendors managing cost and keeping profit levels up I would say. We all would mostly still like to have all the glitz and bling to go along with the good sound.

I blame it all on the AHEE. RaulRuegas, are you listening? Maybe just a little on WAF as well.....

In all seriousness, the best tube amps I have heard sound pretty much like the best SS amps to me and vice versa. Not sure I have ever heard either sound equally top notch with the same speakers though. Gotta look at the whole picture...

Some tube amp makers not only show their tubes (gasp!), but have figured out how to make them glow in different colors!!! Like Jolida FX10, which is one sweet looking little amp, like a mini, affordable VAC Phi Beta, which is the Brooklyn Decker of tube integrateds IMHO. I am not likely to be able to afford either my favorite VAC integrated nor Brooklyn Decker in the near future though. I suppose the fake colored blue Jolida glow is a bit shameful though. Kinda like makeup for tubes.

Schubert, testify!! Eliminate clipping first then tweak if needed. Its the only road to happiness.

Its true with most speakers you cannot have too much power. Think of it as your insurance policy against clipping. Do not leave yourself exposed.