Major Questions Concerning Tube Amps..??

Yes, occasionally, distortion is higher with tube amps, but the character of the distortion is more pleasant.
I know it sounds hokey, but you won't worry about the "specs" once you've heard a good tube amp.

Tube amps come in all wattages, however, 50w of tube amp power "seems" like 100w or more of SS power.
I don't know the science behind this, I'm sure it's here if you search.

Current can vary among tube amps, some do run through tubes faster than others, some may be biased by the listened with tube life vs. sound in mind.

If you listen to music more than HT, I would definately recommend at least 2 channels of tube power. 3 (Left Front, Center, Right Front) channels would be great.

It is my understanding that most info still comes from the center speaker and teh front 2. All of the speakers won't sound the same with tube and SS mixed, but even with identical speakers and identical amps, the positioning of teh speakers will result in a difference in sound. Bottom line- you're curious, and that's good. Once you listen to a good tube amp, You won't go back to SS!

I'd suggest an amp that uses 6550, or kt88 tubes, as opposed to el34. El34 tubes have a richer midrange, but a hardcore solid state guy would immediately miss the bass that most el34 based amps lack.

Anyway, good luck!!!

Most of what Gthirteen says is right on the money.
However, I think you'd be fine with leaving center channel ss and just going tubes for front l+r. Most center channel sound is spoken dialogue, vs. music and sound effects out of the mains. I've read plenty of folks here using that combo w/o problems.
Your concern about current/tube life is not really the right way to think about it. Yes, some designs will have longer tube life than others, but it's a function of the entire circuit design and parts choice, not just a function of a current spec that you should base your decision on.
Trust your ears, and don't worry so much about the power ratings. If you tell folks what speakers you are driving, many will be able to offer their experiences driving them with both ss & tubes, and help you figure out what tube amps to consider. Then go listen to as many as you can, with some music that you know well. Cheers,
Spencer

DMH,

The wattage is the product of the voltage and the current -
so if the amp, for a given voltage is delivering less wattage,
it is delivering less current - not more.

The above posters are correct that although the tube amp puts
out more distortion - it is a more "pleasing" distortion.

Tube amps put out mainly "even-order" distortion products -
while solid state amps put out mainly "odd-order" distortion
products. Our hearing is more "bothered" by the odd-order
distortion than an equivalent amount of even-order distortion.

Unless you're an electical engineer, and really understand
the specs and all their implications - ignore the specs and
trust your ears.

Dr. Gregory Greenman
Physicist

Guys;
Thanks for the info. By the way my speakers are Vienna Acoustics Beethoven's (mains), VA Maestro (center), 4 VA Waltz's (rears and surrounds). I listen to more 2 channel music than I watch movies (usually only with the family), this is why I'm trying to figure out if there is room for improvements (tube) in the amplification section of my system. I would appreciate recommendations for good tube amplification. I have looked at Cary, Rogue and VTL, but I have never listened to any of them, thats my next field trip. So please feel free to add to the list.

Thanks
DMH

Never take advice from fanatics or Dr.s who would presume to tell you that you wouldn't understand something that's very easy to understand. Spec's as text do not matter but Stereophiles graphs mean a great deal and can tell you 90% of what yopu need to know about that amplifier. Especially when they can't test it near it rated power etc...read between the lines to get the truth.

This question cannot be answered without knowing what speakers you are using. Tube magic is not available to all people! some speakers just will not work well with tubes. Most of the speakers I like are in this category. So what speaker do you have? is a huge missing component to anyone answering these questions for you.

Personal Anecdote.

In my world where the drivers in my speakers are highly damped, have moderate sensitiviy and very flat phase responses. Most tube amplifiers are at best tolerable. They are usually flawed and ill equipped to to do the job I require. For example, Wolcott Monoblocks vs. Warner Imaging Monos on Kharma Exquisite midi's... Tubes distortion is obvious in the boom in the bass and glare in the upper mids. About the only thing that could be enticing to a listener is the overblown diffused soundstage the tubes give you.

This is just one of many examples I can give, tubes in a multi channel application are a proverbial root canal causing more probelems that they solve and will do nothing to enhance your two channel performance. Most good multi channel preamps give you the flexibility to change the sound so dramatically you can make your system sound like its on tubes. The average audiophlie will moe likely hang his speaker wire on wood bridges to make the system better before they will grasp that multi channel which REQUIRES you buy competent speakers and have an excellent processor eqippped with the propper setup parameters and understand some basic acoustics to dial in your speakers so they work as one.

Subjectivity in sound is a much narrower window in multi-channel and you can't make equipment work that doesn't. Its a binary world (1) it works (0) it doesn't. So you can see how that might make analog types feel trapped. Because you can't cover up ineffective equipment with tweaks and other band aids, like tube amp tone controls.

If you don't have a Meridian surround processor, then use your tube amp money to get one and make your two channel days a distant memory. I haven't heard a 2 channel system in the last 3 years that is better than my or many of the Meridian or TAG McLaren multichannel systems I have setup.

I realize that 99% of the people here have had the opposite experience, but Bose does sell 70% of the speakers in the US. So the majority isn't always right.

I will say this, I have not yet walked into someone's house where I could not improve their multi-channel sound significantly (I work in the industry and this list includes some very noteworthy people) just by adjusting the setup on the equipment they had. Most people are at best getting 50%-60% of the performance out of their MC systems. Keep in mind too, some speaker co's still can't make a center channel and most audio stores won't sell you three of a kind for the front speakers etc. Lots of wrong approaches to the whole multi-channel thing. No wonder people fall back into old bad habits.

Have a good one.

If you have more question or need technical backup let me know.