David,
For me it’s been quite a journey of owning all kinds of top gear,either tubes or ss,over the 40 yrs that I’ve been in this hobby.
Without mentioning any brand names,I will give you a quick small as possible summary of my journey to what I have today,that beats and or rivals any other piece of gear that I’ve owned.
I started with a set of tubed separates and used them for a few months but my curiosity got the better of me and I wanted to try something different,so I got a SS pre to try with the tube amp,everyone said at the time that’s the wrong direction to go,but it worked very well for me.Fast forward a few yrs and Nelsons first Threshold amps were the buzz and after saving up for a set I got a 400a and the as the yrs went by I continued right up the Threshold ladder.Now in the meantime of my journey I would buy and try some kind of tube based gear,depending on the speakers I had at the time,generally would get some kind of set Tube amp,and pre.
So then I would have a totally different flavor to change my system as I wanted to.Now Pass Labs and others were gaining momentum and popularity in the mainstream,so Offcourse I followed right along to the first watt days,still owning tube gear of some kind also.
Now I classify myself as a music lover first and audiophile second,but I also enjoy listening and learning about the gear,I’ve been a Avionics technician at a major airline for 30 yrs now,so I gained a little knowledge about electronics in general.
I know I said in the beginning that I wouldn’t mention any brand names,but it’s rather difficult to not.
Along this journey,I’ve always seeked a certain sonic presentation that really has stayed the same for my ears all of these years.
1.Correct tone and timbre that’s pleasing to me.
2.Enough detail and resolution that convey the bloom and tiny nuances of the music.
3.Properly layered soundstage that’s precise but also holographic as well.
4.Image size that’s realistic to scale.
With all of that said,I decided to try one of these popular modern one box wonders and hear for myself what all the fuss was about.
All I can say is that I’m completely satisfied with it and need or want anything else,but I absolutely have no regrets trying all the other gear either.
The subject of Physcoacoustics is something that I have personally studied and find quite interesting and It most definitely can affect our sonic choices in gear,and I do believe everyone should be awhere.
There’s a nicely written paper from several yrs ago,written by Nelson Pass that explains harmonic distortions,and what is pleasing to some people may not be pleasing to others.
http://www.firstwatt.com/pdf/art_dist_fdbk.pdfMy advice to anyone pondering the OP’s questions is basically you just need to try some different gear in your own system and see what works the best for you.
There’s a huge big world of gear available nowadays.
In summary,I don’t miss tubes or class a SS one bit,but absolutely no regrets either.It’s all about the journey and seeking musical bliss.
Enjoy the music,
Kenny.
