Hybrid Tube & SS


I know there are a number of hybrid integrated amps out there now that have received some favorable reviews. Have not heard one for myself yet. If you have heard them or own one , how much of the “tube sound” and soundstage is lost going this way?  Saw a video from PS Audio saying that tubes are for preamps and SS is for amplification and that we are best to let each do their job. Related, is anyone using a tube preamp and a SS amp as separates?
cincyhound

Showing 2 responses by millercarbon

Good answer.
Unless you've heard it talk is cheap.

Was at a show one time, Chris Brady was doing extensive demo's of his turntables. He can change platters so we were able to hear everything exactly the same except for the platter. At one point for some reason he changed the phono stage. No idea what they were but the first one was all tube. He happened to be standing next to me and so after listening a minute I turned and said, "Is this all tubes?" Mostly, but there's an op-amp. "Doesn't take much then does it?" No, it does not. 

Like that. When you can hear, you can hear. Until then, very hard to explain.

In my experience its a whole lot more useful to compare based purely on sound quality. There's really only two technical or objective things I pay any attention to at all: cartridge output, and speaker sensitivity. But then I have over the years pretty much come to the conclusion there are no solid state (or digital) anything's that do it for me. So time being short I skip right past them now. Sorry. Works for me. 

Until you find what works for you I suggest you focus solely on sound quality and ignore as much as possible all the technical blather. Because it may be you find the sound you seek is all tubes. Or all SS. Or some of each. But if you go around asking people, forget it. The way you asked the question I could find you half a dozen SS amps that have deeper more tubey sound than an other half a dozen tube amps- and vice versa.  

Oh and the "let each do their job"- what a load of horse hockey!