Marco
Your system(s): Klipsh (horn), tubes, Muse digital
My system: CLS stats (planar), SS, Wadia digital
Originally though, I had all tube electronics, ARC SP-14 pre and two ARC trioded M300 MkII monoblks. So my before/after comparisons should be, I feel, fairly credible.
Today my system sounds just as inviting and involving, and easy to listen to, as when it used tube electonics. For your consideration, I should add that I DID make some (other) ancillary changes when I switched from tubes to SS:
1. Added a power regenerator and a bal. power unit (to dedicated circuits, mind you!)
2. Re-cabled the entire system, EVERYTHING, with PAD Venustas IC and Dominus PCs, and fitted an Aural Symphonics Optimism V.2 fiberoptic glass cable from CDT to DAC.
Oh, and one other thing,
3. Got my CLSs up on Sound Anchor stands (huge benefits which I won't detail here.)
Is there a big difference? Not really. The only word that comes to mind is "definition". Not 'analytical' (that's become a dirty word in audio ;--) Actually, for me, the system today is subtly more involving than in its tube incarnation, perhaps in the same way HD television is so deliciously involving you can hardly take your eyes off it. Like eating salted peanuts, I just can't stop listening. The sound isn't hard or fatiguing, and the presence/atmosphere of the venue always surrounds the performance. But, it IS a pricey system -- even counting some pre-owned equipment purchases.
I honestly think SS sonics are again improving across the board, to the point where very soon, tube designers will find themselves competing with even modestly priced SS gear (a decided reversal of the present situation!)
I'll never forget when Mike Lavigne, not long after putting together his brilliant listening room (except for the windows, sorry Mike) one fine day the Tenor amps disappeared, replaced by a bridged PAIR of $37k darTZeel SS amps (and $22k preamp!) (and speakers to match) and I thought WHOA!, Mike would never do this unless this gear did everything his tube gear did, and MORE!! (including MORE convenience ;--)
So I think we'll be seeing companies like darTZeel (why do they spell their name so weird?), Pass, Levinson (hopefully), Boulder, Goldmund, FM Acoustics, (maybe one day even Krell;--) learn how to remove the remaining "impurities" from solid state, and build amps at the same reasonable price/performance level which today, lets face it, is the sole domain of affordable tube gear.
.
Your system(s): Klipsh (horn), tubes, Muse digital
My system: CLS stats (planar), SS, Wadia digital
Originally though, I had all tube electronics, ARC SP-14 pre and two ARC trioded M300 MkII monoblks. So my before/after comparisons should be, I feel, fairly credible.
Today my system sounds just as inviting and involving, and easy to listen to, as when it used tube electonics. For your consideration, I should add that I DID make some (other) ancillary changes when I switched from tubes to SS:
1. Added a power regenerator and a bal. power unit (to dedicated circuits, mind you!)
2. Re-cabled the entire system, EVERYTHING, with PAD Venustas IC and Dominus PCs, and fitted an Aural Symphonics Optimism V.2 fiberoptic glass cable from CDT to DAC.
Oh, and one other thing,
3. Got my CLSs up on Sound Anchor stands (huge benefits which I won't detail here.)
Is there a big difference? Not really. The only word that comes to mind is "definition". Not 'analytical' (that's become a dirty word in audio ;--) Actually, for me, the system today is subtly more involving than in its tube incarnation, perhaps in the same way HD television is so deliciously involving you can hardly take your eyes off it. Like eating salted peanuts, I just can't stop listening. The sound isn't hard or fatiguing, and the presence/atmosphere of the venue always surrounds the performance. But, it IS a pricey system -- even counting some pre-owned equipment purchases.
I honestly think SS sonics are again improving across the board, to the point where very soon, tube designers will find themselves competing with even modestly priced SS gear (a decided reversal of the present situation!)
I'll never forget when Mike Lavigne, not long after putting together his brilliant listening room (except for the windows, sorry Mike) one fine day the Tenor amps disappeared, replaced by a bridged PAIR of $37k darTZeel SS amps (and $22k preamp!) (and speakers to match) and I thought WHOA!, Mike would never do this unless this gear did everything his tube gear did, and MORE!! (including MORE convenience ;--)
So I think we'll be seeing companies like darTZeel (why do they spell their name so weird?), Pass, Levinson (hopefully), Boulder, Goldmund, FM Acoustics, (maybe one day even Krell;--) learn how to remove the remaining "impurities" from solid state, and build amps at the same reasonable price/performance level which today, lets face it, is the sole domain of affordable tube gear.
.