The ups and downs of tube vs. SS...


I’d like to hear from the people that have had both. Why tube? Why SS? What are the ups and downs of both? How does owning one or both differ? I’ve always owned SS, but also lusted after tubes....
jtweed
128x128jtweed

Showing 3 responses by initforthemusic

@schubert Have you heard the Vincent hybrid SP-T700 Mono Blocks? Have the airy top end and warmth of tubes with a nice punchy Solid State bottom end. Obviously not the slam of higher powered S/S Mono's.
Too much generalization. There are some good, great, ordinary Tube components. There are some good, great, ordinary Solid State components.

There is also the issue of compatability. Some Tube Amps suit certain Speakers, some Solid State Power Amps suit certain Speakers. For example, difficult loads, like big Apogees,would generally be better suited and have more options in solid state Power Amps.

It would be foolish to discount either topology. All my Pre-Amps until recently incorporate Tubes. I hadn't owned a Solid State Pre. for 16 or so years and had written off S/S for Pre's as all my Tube Pre's thrashed my previous Pre. an ME25. About 3 months ago I acquired a Solid State Pre. a Vincent SA-94. OMG, it has blown me away and beaten out some good Tube Pre's. when matched well. Shows how wrong to write off either topology. However it does require careful matching.

However prefer Tubes so far for my Phono stages, and yet to hear similarly priced S/S CD Players get close to my Tube CD Players. For Power Amps it's my big Solid State Mono Blocks for driving my Revel Ultima Studios, but hybrid's for driving my active bass Speakers.
@schubert Thanks for the reply which reinforces even more that there is no size fits all in the debate. The SP-T700's sound superb with rockier material, especially Americana, Alejandro Escovedo, Lucinda Williams, Steve Earle etc. No doubt ancillory equipment, Speakers, Power, Cables, matching etc. room, differ. This is why there is no definitive.

So to the OP, as you can see there are too many factors to rule out either topology, and as you've just seen musical preferences can be a big factor.

If finances allow get both!