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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
jsm71
141 posts
 

@jtweed - If you are looking for a "personal" office system I recommend you research the Linear Tube Audio MZ2.  It is (take your pick) either an integrated amplifier for high efficiency (Klipsch, Tekton, Devore, Decware) speakers, or a superb preamp (as I'm using it), or as a headphone amp (my other intended use).

LTA gear is tube driven, designed by David Berning.  The MZ2 starts at $1,200, tubes last 10-20 years, and the sound is amazing (a reference pick by some despite its price).  Plenty of professional reviews to back that up.

As to your original question, the best electronics are those that mate the best with your choice of speakers.  The more a speaker leans to a revealing transparent/neutral sound, the more tubes seem to please.  SS gear tends to do best with speakers having multiple drivers with complex crossover designs, or are of lower efficiency.  These later types tend to love/need higher wattage, making SS a more practical decision.

I use electrostatic speakers with all tube electronics from LTA.  I'm in heaven, but I used to have systems that sounded best with SS.  You need to pick your speaker first, IMO. 

tubegroover
2,279 posts
 
I agree with jsm71, pick your speaker first keeping in mind that the more inefficient the more power required from the amp. Not only that but impedance dips may further require more current demands from the amp. I personally prefer speakers that are efficient making low to medium tube amps an ideal match. Yes, some ss amps can sound very good but the better ones, to my ears, are either lower powered class A designs, or for greater power requirements, Class A/AB. Neither of those choices, the best examples, are cheap but can sound excellent. 

The fact that you have to replace tubes is part  of the deal. If you don't want to bother, you go ss or go with a tube design that have long life outputs, i.e Berning, Music Reference, many SET designs, my ancient McIntosh MC-60s and many others.  Remember this as part of the debate, do you ever hear "great tube amp that reminds you of the best SS designs" the best complement for either might perhaps be "this design really make the debate of ss vs tube a moot point". All said and done I am still in step with my monikor, ymmv.   
charles1dad's avatar
charles1dad
6,996 posts
 
Tweed,
Tubegroover makes two really salient points,
1 Proper speaker and amplifier mating is mandatory, it truly is the metaphorical marriage. A high  quality tube amplifier can sound poor with the wrong speaker choice.

2 There are definitely tube power amplifiers that are very easy on tubes and there are tube with inherently long tube life. In some cases you can go years before having to change these tubes. For one example I currently use a tube (EML XLS 300b) where older versions are approaching 40,000 hours of use and yet continue to test new! That’s a lot of years of music loving enjoyment 😊. I believe for another example that the Atnma-Sphere OTLs provide long tube lifespan. These in addition to what Tubegroover mentioned above.
Charles
atmasphere's avatar
atmasphere
7,068 posts
 
Two audio shows really shaped my opinions on tube gear. One was a single ended symposium put on by Stereophile mag in the early-mid 90's in Philadelphia and it was the first time I heard SET gear. That day I heard 845 amps, 300b, 211, and 2A3 amps from very well known designers. They were all incredible sounding but the one that caught my ear the most was the least expensive and lowest powered amps the FI 2A3 monoblocks. At 3 wpc, they were able to fill a 40 x 40 room with 104 db horn speakers.
@lou_setriodes , I'm betting that this show was actually the Philadelphia Triode show and it was more like about 1998 or so. I was at that show (and played our amps), and the speakers used were made by what is now known as Classic Audio Loudspeakers, and the Fi was indeed quite impressive. I thought it was the best sounding of all the SETs presented.
wspohn's avatar
wspohn
210 posts
 
I swing both ways.

SS is suitable for headbanger music that requires huge current input, but can also work well with acoustic music if you choose the right amp.

Tube amps are lower output and tend to soften transients (a gross generalization, but...) while presenting a very fluid replication of the music.

Both will work, but how well depends on the rest of your system.

I drive some very inefficient electrostats that have impedance curves that drop to 1 ohm with big class A power amps.

I listen to my main speakers (92 dB) using a 70 watt tube amp that sounds just delightful despite a part of the range being at 3 ohms or a bit less.  When I switch to video use, I switch in a power amp that puts out around 400 watts.

define what sort of music you listen to, and how efficient your speakers are and that will tend to indicate what sort of power amp you should look at.
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