Anyone has a reference system where amplification is SS ?

“transparent is not enough for a solid state amplifier, musically complete, grain less and flowing are the challenges. these are relative things. not absolutes.”

transparent is all of those things if those things are in the recording. Transparent means the output is audibly indistinguishable from the input other than the gain. If one wants some additional seasoning then euphonically colored amps are an option. But so are DSP simulators that do it better at a fraction of the cost with greater flexibility and the option to turn them off. 

“Reference system” will only exist the day there is a system that can not be changed improved upon. State of the art playback is subject to personal preferences. If one seeks accuracy then solid state gives us state of the art in accuracy. If one seeks euphonic colorations then one can use tube gear or better yet tube simulation DSP. With tube simulation DSP one can have the bed of both worlds with an unprecedented level of control. 

“nd that's another advantage of tube electronics. Can you do transistor rolling ?”

No. but with tube simulation DSP you can do a lot more than just tube rolling

There are plenty of transparent SS amplifiers. 

“no, transparent is not enough.”

Then you want added colorations. A perfectly legitimate personal preference. I like them too. But I use DSP for that so the transparency remains an option. Once you color your playback with a colored amp it puts that stamp on everything you play. 

“ I respect that unless you directly compare various solid state amps in a revealing system you might assume ’transparent’ is enough, and that transparent assumes other musical attributes. unfortunately that is not the case.”

if the amp is transparent, which most modern SS amps are if they aren’t clipping then all of the musical attributes encoded in the audio signal will be passed through to the speakers. By definition that’s what transparent does. 

“to illustrate my point here is a review”

and that’s where you lose me. Subjective reviews from Stereophile or other similar publications laced with vague flowery language are of no real interest to me. 

“so you are an ’all modern solid state amps sound the same’ guy if they are not clipping?”

most. Not all

“scottwheel defines transparency not in a positive way...”

Please don’t try to speak for me. I don’t define transparency. It has its own definition. And there is nothing “negative” about it. 

The interpretation is not an accurate account of my beliefs. So I guess I should make myself more clear at this point. Transparency in audio is an utter lack of any *audible* distortions between a component’s input and output. ABX DBTs are an effective way of determining real audible differences. I have never made any reference to a placebo effect. 

“You are right , you never accused any subjectivist audiophiles of placebo effect in the posts i read from you”

When audiophiles perceive audible differences where non exist in casual non level matched non time synchronized comparisons it isn’t due to a placebo effect. It is due to how we hear, process and remember sound. We can not effectively compare an aural memory to real time sound. So while it may seem the same as a placebo it is not. The aural memory is incomplete and was filtered by steered focus. 

“so you are just a common run of the mill ASR troll. have a nice day.”

aren’t you the same Mike Lavigne who was challenged to a blind test between your Rockport Sirius III turntable and a digital copy of it made on a Tascam digital recorder and failed to hear any differences? Are you really someone who should be labeling other audiophiles and dismissing them? Didn’t you learn your lesson? 

“ahha, Amir did load your lips.”

hardly. I am one of the most hated people on ASR. I call them on their BS as well as your kind of BS. Speaking of Amir, I call him out all the time on his B.S. In fact I did so on your behalf! Remember when he reported on ASR that your system was mediocre? I think he gave it a 4 on a scale of 1-10? Remember that? I called him out on that. He was being a dick to you and a total hypocrite. He complained that the levels were too low. I pointed out to him that all he had to do was speak the **** up and have you turn up the volume. Instead he based his evaluation on an easily solvable issue, ignored Fletcher Munson curves and ignored the basic scientific principle of his own bias effects. I shredded him for that..

You are welcome.

”20 year old hifi history.”

so 20 years ago you couldn’t tell the difference between your turntable and a digital copy but now now you can? What has changed in 20 years that would negate that test?

”not quite what happened many many years ago.”

it is a exactly what happened. It was documented on Audio Asylum. The archives don’t lie.

“is that the best you can do? you need to be a better troll. anything original from you yourself?”

do I need to do better? We can always do some more DBTs using your gear at your home with your choice of source material. I look forward to reading your excuses for not doing so. You already know how it will work out for you having been through it once. 

It’s funny, by the looks of it Amir really got under your skin. Ironically I really get under his skin when I call him on his BS

“I am naive to think that all people can train their ears in acoustics ...Some are ideologically deaf and need double blind test to say anything ...”

I think you are being a bit rough on Mike here. No amount of training can change the human thresholds of audibility. Mike wasn’t able to tell the difference between his turntable and a digital copy because there were no audible differences

“Now mocking someone about an allegedfailed blind test is the last argument it seems ...😁”

Reminding someone of their own experience with controlled listening tests is not mocking them. Mike made the unwise choice to make this about status and ego . There is nothing “alleged” about this particular test. It is well documented on Audio Asylum. Including Mike’s concession that he could not distinguish between his turntable and a digital copy. Again no shame in not hearing what is not audible.

“I hate ad hominem attacks on credibility ... With or without blind test ...”

so do I. Mike should know better than to just label people and dismiss them based on the label he gave them.