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Portfolio Diversification, Tubes VS Solid State


derrickdj1

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This should be fun, discussing tube vs solid state 2 ch listening.  Which is superior, neither is my short answer.  Some on the forum claim tubes is the way to go but, systems composed of solid state continue to dominate the market and are an excellent alternative.  SS is cheaper, weights less and more forgiving depending on speakers and other gear.

 

On the other hand, SS has been around some 50 + years and many people still prefer tubes.  Tubes especially shine with vinyl and older analog recordings.  The old days of jitter problems with digital are long gone with modern equipment.  The best of both world can be had with a system that has both, tubes and SS.  I've been doing this for the last four to five years and still can't declare one a clear winner over the other.  What are your thoughts on the topic?  This is for fun and not meant to having anyone go off on a tangent or holy grail mission to proclaim one better than the other.

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Carl are we on the same page?  We are talking about SS amps vs tube gear, nothing more.  There is nothing about Dems or Repubs in this topic.;)  I never knew one party had a preference for one over the other for their 2 channel listening, lol.:D  I just thought you may have thought I posted this in the wrong section.

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Have you ever noticed how most of those SS guys amps have black fronts, yet tube amp are mostly silver-faced?I know for a fact those SS guys are spying on us tube guys, and I'm very suspicious of those Russian tubes I have on hand. I've put them in a lock box, but I'm still leery of them.  The Chinese tubes are welcome because they are cheap, even if they are commies.

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28 minutes ago, derrickdj1 said:

Carl are we on the same page?  We are talking about SS amps vs tube gear, nothing more.  There is nothing about Dems or Repubs in this topic.;)  I never knew one party had a preference for one over the other for their 2 channel listening, lol.:D  I just thought you may have thought I posted this in the wrong section.

He's right.  The tubes vs SS debate(feud) started a long time ago and I'll bet it will never end.  These threads can get nasty, I don't get it, but they can go off the rails pretty quick.

 

Maybe a disclaimer like, "Keep it civil" or "Be nice"(Roadhouse), would be in order.;):P

 

Bill

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34 minutes ago, derrickdj1 said:

Carl are we on the same page?  We are talking about SS amps vs tube gear, nothing more.

We are absolutely on the same page.  I've seen it too many times.  That's the reason there are 2 separate amp sections.

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^^^^^

Looks like Carl's concerns are valid. 

"Suspicious" "Russian" "Lock box" "Leery" "Chinese" "Commies"

After these blatant political statements I can only say I own and enjoy some very nice amps of both genders- SS and Tubes. 

Thats all I have on this tenuous subject.

In before the Lock!!!

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23 minutes ago, CECAA850 said:

We are absolutely on the same page. 

Your right Carl it's always the tube guys starting the trouble, it's like they the live in a vacuum. :o

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ok he didn't say that, one day I will get over my tube bias............as soon as I can afford it.:lol:

 

 

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Let's hope you don't have to lock it.  It is not about which is better, it is simple saying there may be benefit in having both.  Not like people around here don't have excess equipment, lol.  Nothing excels like excess when it comes to this hobby.:D

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10 minutes ago, derrickdj1 said:

Let's hope you don't have to lock it.  It is not about which is better, it is simple saying there may be benefit in having both.  Not like people around here don't have excess equipment, lol.  Nothing excels like excess when it comes to this hobby.:D

OK Derrick, I'll chirp in here to your point.

 

No doubt in my mind that my Chorus II's sound much better via SS.  Tighter bass punch, and a clear top end.  They just don't cut it for me when on a tube amp.  Sound is veiled and lifeless.  Right now having my (2) MC250's restored, and I have them monoblocked to 100 watts each.  They will go back on the Chorus II's, and I know they will shine even brighter than before.

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In the olden days on the forum the most aggressive arguments were among the tube aficionados themselves. SET vs Push Pull. Those were some fun conversations to witness. The thread would normally last about a day and go on for three or four pages before it was shut down.

In regard to the question at hand….until recently I was 100% in the tube camp. I have owned and still own a number of both vintage and modern tube amps and I could never find a satisfying solid state amp.  Recently with the Benchmark AHB2 I have to say I am more than satisfied.

But reading jimjimbos post about his new MC225 had me interested in putting mine back in the saddle. In fact I was planning on doing that this evening but ran out of steam! Probably will do so this weekend. So maybe I still do prefer tubes!

I see in this thread that jimjimbo prefers solid state macs driving his chorus’ . So jim what are you driving with the mc225? and I am curious about what characteristics of the different speakers do you think lend themselves to ss versus tubes?

I can say that I definitely prefer a tubed phono stage. Haven't found a solid state one - at least that I would want to pay for - that would match my current phono. IMHO Your mileage may vary.

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I have grown to believe the circuit topology has more influence than the type of active device employed. That said, the best topology for SS is likely different than the best topology for tubes. So it'll never be apples to apples. And SS is such a wide field....we talking BJT, MOSFET, JFET? They all behave very very differently and have their own design considerations. Then there's what, triode, tentrode, and pentode tubes?

 

I feel like it doesn't make a ton of sense for audiophiles to have these discussions because there are both good and bad SS and Tube designs. How do you know what you're hearing is due to the active element, or certain design decisions?

 

The point is that there are both good and bad implementations of each. Sure, there are in fact inherent limitations or flavors to the different active elements that do impart a common character to the sound. I think it would make more sense to try and understand those flavors - and find ways to describe what we're experiencing. The different characters detract differently from different types of source material and listening habits.

 

But to really compare SS and tubes, then you're going to get into a very in-depth discussion that ultimately revolves around circuit design....and we're simply not equipped to cover those nuances on a public forum. Even the best audio circuit designers in the world are still learning more about how these devices behave.

 

 

All that to say, SS is the best. Tubes should die along with vinyl and wax cartridges. They are archaic relics of the past that serve only nostalgic purposes. Haha ;)

(said totally in jest btw)

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I have both tube and solid state and agree with several here that diversity is good. I use solid state for my CF3's as it appears that they like a lot of power and did not sound great at 30 tube watts. Grand Funk Railroad sounds awesome on them. On the other hand I use tubes on my Chorus II's and a they produce a 3D soundstage I have not gotten with solid state yet. I typically start listening to tubes at lower volumes and then finish the night with solid state.

 

i must admit I find tubes to be a lot of fun and picked up a 1929 Majestic radio recently and can,t wait to get it going. The real problem here is WAF as it is hard not to get addicted to either!

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