differences between tube and solid state designs

And that's why I don't read any audio magazines anymore.

"I think your confusing reality and realism"

The second order harmonics question was answered by the Pass Alephs and, to some degree, Plinius SA-series.

i think the differences between vintage tube amps and especially the cj mv 125 and current tube amps , excluding set amps, is greater than the difference between current tube amps and solid state amps.

i think what has happened over the last 25 years is the discontuance of an identifiable tueb sound. yes you may call it coloration. in its place, is a presentation closer to accuracy--perhaps still some audible coloration.

i have heard some current cj, audio research, wolcott, granite audio, consonance etc., current tube amps and walked away thinking... "it almost sounds like solid state. why ? "

isn't there some advantage for having designs which sound significantly different from each other so that the consumer has a real choice. the overall variation in sound today within tube designs, within ss designs and between tube and ss designs, again, excluding triode and low powered set amps
is not as great as it was 20 years ago.

Almost sounds like SS... but doesn't. Plinius and Pass? Yuck.

I just cannot go along with this notion that I hear repeated all the time, "The best tube and solid state amplifiers seem to be converging in sound."

Personally, I've more or less yet to hear a solid state amplifier that can make me happy. They just do not instill the flesh and blood into the music that a good tube amplifier can. The higher end solid state amplifiers' offer "more" in most cases - more power, more low frequencies, more high frequencies, more clarity, etc., but still seem to miss the mark for me.

For what it's worth, I'm not enamored of the direction that the high, high end tube amplifiers are going, either. From what I see, the trend is towards bells and whistles like flourescent screens and overly complex biasing and checkout routines. I have no interest whatsoever in the direction ARC and VTL are trying to push the market.

Give me a great sounding, simply designed tube amplifier, and I'll be happy. I'll make sure I have a decent multimeter and screwdriver on hand, and at somewhat of a regular interval, bias it myself. It takes a bit of work, but it's a very, very small price to pay. I haven't heard anything come along that sounds better yet. Not that I'm not willing to listen to what anyone can put forth, if there were solid state amplifiers that suited me, I'd be running one.

Well said Trelja. There's a reason the VW Beetle worked. Simplicity.