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RE: The very "best" tube amps - or, the ones I'd most like to own...

Posted by genungo on October 23, 2014 at 04:16:05

In Reply to: RE: The very "best" tube amps - or, the ones I'd most like to own... posted by morricab on October 22, 2014 at 03:27:49:

First of all, I can see that it might be helpful to clarify what we mean when we say "Solid State sound" or "tube sound". I'd say that SS gear sounds tends to sound more dynamic and powerful, but less colorful than tube gear. The sound that we ascribe to each probably has something to do with the mixture or ratio of different types of distortion components that each presents.

SS gear transmits, or allows for, a mixture of linearities and distortions in playback. Tube gear does likewise, but in a slightly different way.

As I've said, I have some limited listening experience that would seem to confirm the idea of the "convergence" of these two slightly different presentations. I'm also somewhat trustful of others who have said the same thing. I'm sure you're aware that some people have said they can hear little or no difference at all between different amplifiers, and while I would not go as far as to say that I cannot hear any difference at all between a decent tube amp and a decent SS one I might assume, as other have assumed, that as certain types of distortion components in tube or SS amps are minimized the aforementioned "convergence" begins to materialize.

MY own DNA Sonett is a Class A SET tube zero feedback headphone amp and it's an excellent case in point, for me at least. The Sonett is as quiet and as "neutral" (I know, I know - "neutral" is a subjective term...) sounding as any SS amp I've owned so far, even more so in some ways. I can highly recommend this amp to all those who have grown tired of "syrupy, sweet sounding" tube amps or "cool and clinical" SS amps. I would say it sounds like the perfect hybridization of SS and tubes, at least to my ears, and yet it is not a hybrid amp. Another amp that delivers what I might call a similar sort of *hybrid sound* is the Sugden Headmaster, and yet it is a pure SS design. The little Decware monoblocks I used to own seemed to combine what might be called "clean SS sound" with "tube vivacity". Pass Labs is due to release a SS headphone amp this year, and I'm willing to bet that it too might strike a fine balance.

As I've owned or listened to tube and SS amps over the years, the sum of my experience has indicated a thing or two about "convergence" in amp sound. I know for a fact that tubes do not have to sound overly "warm", "tubey", "distorted", etc... SS does not have to sound "cold", "clinical", "sterile", etc... Others would agree with me and the evidence that I'm aware of at this point in time suggests that good sound comes from many design paths. Different amps are not necessarily *good* in the same ways but good ones do tend to "agree" with each other to a great extent in the most fundamental ways. Differences do exist but the better amps sound more alike than than different. The better ones, IMO, have a tendency to get out of their own way so that you can concentrate on the music rather than the sound.

How do you define "tube sound"? How do you define "Solid State sound"? I'd say that there is significant evidence of "convergence" to be found in amp sound nowadays. If you claim to hear something different than that, if that is truly how you've heard things, then all I can say is "More power to you!". I am not you and you are not me.

Edits: 10/23/14 10/23/14 10/23/14 10/23/14 10/23/14 10/23/14 10/23/14

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