2. amps-preamps
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can a tube-o-phile be happy with ss?

I switched to tubes over a decade ago, after realizing that I no longer listened to the stereo because it did not sound like real music and ss and digital were irritating, on a subconscious level. Went to all tubes and mostly LP's. It worked. I even prefer triode with no negative feedback settings, usually. Now ss has supposedly improved, and its advantages beckon, e.g., less heat, electricity and trouble, better bass and perhaps more detail and clarity. Have any of you voluntarily gone back to the dark side and been content? (with the understanding that it never really ends, for an audiophile). On an unlimited budget one might have few complaints, but this question is necessarily in the context of a semblance of fiscal sanity, not top of the line Boulder, Ayre or Zanden.
lloydc

Showing 2 responses by jax2

jax2
3,031 posts
 
I'm bi and proud. Could swing both ways, but usually come back to tubes when all is said and done. Still, I've enjoyed several good SS amplifiers in the past. I have similar tastes in that I prefer SET, but that hasn't stopped me from trying and enjoying SS for the strengths it has to offer. I haven't gotten hooked by SS as of yet...always have come back to SET. Best SS I've heard in my own system has been an Ayre VX5e and Bel Canto Ref 1000's (the latter being Class D). I could probably live with the Ayre and not pine for my SET amps...I think!!!????? The sacrifice would be in the width and depth of soundstage and general sense of space, which I find very compelling about my SET amps. I don't know if the Ayre falls into the realms of your own sense of fiscal sanity, nor how it might pair with your own system, but I'd say it'd be worth a listen if you were so inclined...that's my .02 cents on the matter...ymmv, as always.
jax2
3,031 posts
 
You will miss all of the tweaking, tube rolling and all of the other BS that goes with tubes.

I just miss the sound qualities. I have never had any attachment to tube rolling or tweaking, though I've certainly participated. I prefer to set it and forget it, but I still come back to tubes for certain qualities of sound. Once I find the tubes that work for me I don't change them. BTW, my SET amps auto bias, are stone-simple and I have have never once had a problem with them in 7 years. When I think of it, contrary to some naysayers of tubes I've never had a single problem with any tube component other than a fuse blowing and or a tube arcing in one amp (which was a new Russian-made tube), both of which were isolated incidents, and easy to diagnose and fix. I'm sure I've owned over a dozen tubed components. To be fair, I've also had pretty good luck with SS components: I did once purchase an older Bedini 25/25 SS amp that turned out to need repairs and was returned to the seller eventually, and I was on the verge of wearing out my first SS amp and preamp (BK EX 140 and Superphon Revelation) as both were exhibiting early signs of problems when I sold both (cheaply) at about 10 years old (full disclosure on the sale, of course). Perhaps I'm just lucky - in 25 years I can think of no gross unexpected failures, or maintenance issues that were headaches in that time and with so many components. I'd consider myself a pretty average technically competent individual when it comes to dealing with such technical issues. Oh, no wait a minute, I just thought of an exception. Vinyl!! As much as I love the sound of vinyl I DID find that aspect of this hobby to be a royal PITA as far as tweaking and maintenance. It is just because I prefer to set it and forget it that I eventually (about 14 years in) gave up vinyl altogether and sold my entire record collection. It was not for any failure, but I couldn't stand the amount of maintenance and tweaking it took. I'd much rather spend that time listening to music!
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