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Tube Watts vs. Solid State Watts - Any credence?

I've heard numerous times that Tube watts are not the same as Solid State watts when it comes to amps running speakers. For example, a 70 watt tube amp provides more power than a 140 watt solid state amp. Is there any credence to this or just sales talk and misguided listeners? If so, how could this be? One reason I ask is a lot of speakers recommend 50 - 300 watts of amplification but many stores have 35 watt tube amps or 50 watts tube amps running them. More power is usually better to run speakers, so why am I always hearing this stuff about a tube watt is greater than a solid state watt?
djfst
geoffkait's avatar
geoffkait
14,147 posts
 
Mapman, really? Which ones? I'm dying to know.
mapman's avatar
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mapman
15,679 posts
 
All Class D amps I have heard are the opposite of irritating. Go listen and see which ones you find irritating or not. I've heard Bel Canto and Rowland mostly.

Atmasphere has cited certain Pass amps and others I recall that are not prone to irritating harmonics as well. He would know best probably.
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mapman
15,679 posts
 
All Class D amps I have heard are the opposite of irritating. Go listen and see which ones you find irritating or not. I've heard Bel Canto and Rowland mostly.

Atmasphere has cited certain Pass amps and others I recall that are not prone to irritating harmonics as well. He would know best probably.

I also recently owned a pair of SS Tube Audio Design Hibachi amps that advertised little or no negative feedback and would also fit the bill I would say.

I owned a pair of Carver SS m4.0t amps for many years that performed much like a tube amp. Those were designed to demonstrate a SS amp that sounded identical to a specific tube amp.

I've heard many other musical not irritating SS amps as well. If bad harmonics = irritating then these did not have that affliction either, FWIW.
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geoffkait
14,147 posts
 
A solid state amp that sounded identical to a tube amp? That's gold, Mapman, gold! Humor is the best medicine. ;-)
atmasphere's avatar
atmasphere
7,068 posts
 
Mapman, while there are some solid state amps that have less of the 7th harmonic that has become the hallmark of transistor amplification, there are none that are at the low level that tube amps often demonstrate, although I think there are a few that come close.

Class D is no exception, at least not with any of the amps I have heard and own. Their artifact does seem different than the traditional transistor type; so far it seems that no-one can make an amplifier that is truly neutral.

If you really want an amplifier that is as smooth as a tube amp you are going to have to get a tube amp (its the lack of the 7th harmonic that makes them smooth). If you want to avoid that 2nd harmonic that makes tubes so lush you have to avoid amplifiers that employ single-ended circuits.
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