Tubes? Transistors? Which are better?


It's an audiophile debate: Which are better, tubes or transistors? I have a been a big fan of transistors for a long time, but recent auditions have turned me into a partial tube head. Which tube designs sound best? Do transistors sound better?
uliverc113
One of the reasons I bought my current amp was the fact that it had tone controls. I think it was a bold step for the company. Jadis felt that they were beneficial to enough people in enough cases to try it out. This model has served as an "evaluation of the market", to test the waters in seeing customer reaction/feedback/long term opinion on them. The preamp section is passive and, I have to say it is a nice combination indeed. They have definitely added to my enjoyment of the music in many cases, so long as one does not go overboard. I hope other manufacturers follow suit in the future. I think we all do not have to follow in lockstep with the establishment in the universal condemnation of tone controls.
hey, leafs, i finally got to hear my brother-in-law's res-audio cd-50 yesterday, & it *is* excellent - but that's when run thru his a-r ls-16 tube preamp. he said he can't listen to it run straight into his amp for more than a half-hour, cuz then the sound is way too etched, harsh & grainy. his a-r 100.2 amp, while solid-state, has a *like tubes* characteristic. interesting to me, tho, was listening to the buena-vista social club on his cd set-up. while it was wery nice, i much preferred my vinyl copy on my turntable. les depth, on the cd, and, surprising to me, also less detail... doug
Another issue which is underplayed is maintenance. Tube amps require a lot more know-how. For example, I only recently found out (the hard way), that you need to always have speakers hooked up to your tube amp. It is a hobby, albeit one with an excellent return (great sound).