Best SS amps with sound similar to tube amps


There are some SS or hybrid amps that sounds similar to the tube amps, cost not object, and power equal or more than 100W. Thanks
emigene

Showing 3 responses by christobyl

Conrad Johnson Premier 350. This company won't produce a solid state amp until it sounds tube-like. Absolute agreement with Czbbcl on this.
Unsound...for you..Carver amps. I have a M1.0t from 1986..this is my daily amp. This is a very tube-like amp: musical, warm, easy to listen to. It has rolled off highs and mushy bass...just like a tube amp. I prefer this sound to Bryston, Krell, Linn. Carver designed this amp to sound like a C-J Premier 5? tube amp. Stay away from the M1.5t..sounds dry and brittle. The M4.0t was designed to sound like Carver's Silver Seven tube amp, not as tuby as the M1.0t in my opinion however.
I would stay away from Sunfire amps by Carver..they have a bloated vocal range..especially female vocals. I think his hearing is going south these days. No disrespect to bob carver though..he is a genius.
The sunfire amps I have worked with all have dual outputs, one for voltage (tubelike) and one for current (transistor like). I really don't have that much listening time under my belt on these sunfires..I do know the c-j stuff is better sounding, and at the shop I used to work at we sold many more c-j's than sunfires.
I feel (along with the customers) that sunfire's are overpriced and they are too focused on selling watts. I agree with you that c-j solidstate amps are designed to sound as tube-like as possible. I recall reading their history awhile back..they claimed they didn't want to produce a solidstate amp in the 70's/80's because they sounded horrible compared to their tube designs. I believe they started with the Sonographe designs..around '90. I have heard these and they sound great. My personal favorite is the c-j mf2500a ..I intend to buy one as soon as I can afford one.
Also..any MOSFET amp will produce the same even-order distortion that tube amps produce..as opposed to the odd-order distortion produced by bi-polar transistors which sounds bad. I recall c-j/carver also use low feedback designs to sound more tuby. Long live musicality!