Tube vs. Solid State Amplifiers

@goofyfoot wrote: "atmasphere, certainly would like to own an Atmasphere valve amp. Understanding the options better would help in deciding which one. "

I’m one of Ralph’s dealers and also a speaker manufacturer. If by "the options" you mean "speakers that work well with Ralph’s lower-powered amps", that depends in large part on the specifics of the speaker’s impedance curve. Sometimes it is possible to tweak the impedance curve a bit without otherwise affecting the speaker. The Zero Autoformer from Paul Speltz is one way of doing so, and there are other ways which are also benign.

If you have a particular speaker in mind, shoot me an e-mail or a message and maybe I can offer some thoughts.

Eight ohm speakers can work very well with Ralph’s smaller amps if they have compatible characteristics, so you are not limited to 16-ohm speakers.

Duke

Sorry Duke, I'm not currently in the market for a new amp but maybe in the future.

@goofyfoot , even if you were in the market it's extremely unlikely I'd be involved in any transactions, as for one thing your use of the term "valves" makes me think you're in Europe, and I'm in Texas.   But if I can ever potentially help with speaker matching questions, feel free to ask.  

Duke

I bought my Audions direct from Alberto. Had nothing to do with OCD Mikey. You don’t want to see what the fuss about is, your choice. Meanwhile those who know by direct experience, know exactly what I’m talking about. These amps are a game-changing experience to golden ears. If they didn’t so ‘rock my world’ so to speak, I would have returned them without regrets. I have no time for hype as this is serious money. That said it’s worth every penny. So good I’m actually upgrading to the Gran Vivaces. Happy Listening :)

The differences between tube and solid-state lie within their circuits, featuring different components depending on the design. Tube amps work through voltage, needing an output transformer to convert it to the current running throughout the wiring and finally into the speakers.

Solid-states are driven by current from the output devices, so they typically have a single power transformer and silicon transistors – offering a cleaner and more detailed sound overall. 

I found a relevant post about this, maybe you would check that

https://integraudio.com/are-tube-amps-worth-money/