Tube Sound From Your Solid State Amp ?

[ka7niq]

40 minutes ago, wdecho said:

Nelson Pass pulled off the SET sound in a SS amplifier using a transistor manufactured exclusively for him that has curves similar to a triode tube. But still the curves do curve to the left as a triode tube but are not as evenly spaced as say a 300B. There are two versions the SIT-1 and SIT-2 that sold for $10K and $5K. On a technical forum he stated that a cheap Chinese EL-34 amplifier, around $300, sounds pretty much the same. Both amplifiers are now discontinued but for those that only consider SS they are an option. They are available used from time to time.  

The old Counterpoint amps like the SA 220 I think it was is a hybrid Tube/Mosfet that used weird Mosfets made for power supplies.

 

[richieb]

16 hours ago, JohnA said:

 

But why would I ever consider such a thing?  I have had tube monoblocks and truth was not in them.  The sound of an amp with a high damping factor (bass control, clarity) is what I like.  I do not like the soft, fuzzy, limp tube sound. 

 

I tend to agree with this although I have owned a few PP and/or UL tube amps that have drive and control very similar to good SS amps. And since they sounded more SS than tube why bother, and they are gone. Where I agree is after attending live shows, mostly jazz style music, my rig sounds more "live" with high quality SS than with tubes. And where the larger format Klipsch lines are designed to convey a more lifelike, live sound I have slowly moved in the SS direction. I don't feel I'm giving up anything. But as always, to each his own.