2. amps-preamps
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Mid-fi tube vs high-end SS

Hello everyone. I am new here but not new to audio. I’ve been meaning to buy a high-end permanent SS amp for 2 years now. But not sure how much improvement I can get.

 

A little about what I have. I use a high-quality tube amp I bought for around $1,500. 55 watts per channel Class A. With upgraded tubes it’s a little over $2,000. The amp I have is the Musical Paradise mp-501 I’ll link below. Using upgraded Kt-170 tubes along with some nos 5693 red tubes and 717-a tubes.

 

My audio knowledge and listen ability has improved substantially these past few years thanks partly to this tube amp. Sorry for the long-winded intro. My actual question is, how much improvement should I expect going from this tube amp to something high-end SS like the Gato 150 and the incredible DVA M225? Very little reviews on the Gatos, I’m hoping I could get some help here, even anything about the Gato 150 from users would be helpful. Ty

 

https://www.musicalparadise.ca/store/index.php?route=product/product&path=59&product_id=55

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Showing 4 responses by wolf_garcia

wolf_garcia
6,631 posts
 

Tubes aren't getting harder to find as non-Russian tube manufacturers are ramping up more and more, and the Russian stuff is flowing again...note the guitar amp biz uses way more tubes than hifi ever has..."Vinyl is dead"...remember that?

wolf_garcia
6,631 posts
 

My Dennis Had tube amp is hardly "mid fi" except that it wasn't expensive, and I still listen to it from time to time but it was relegated to a resting spot by a Pass XA-25. That actually is one of the most transparent SS amps out there but it's 5 grand or so. Utterly worth it and there's nothing like it I know of.

wolf_garcia
6,631 posts
 

Note that "high end" denotes quality and not necessarily a steep price. My Schiit Freya (original version) preamp has more flexibility relative to tube use (or not) and ins and outs than pretty much anything out there and consistently gets a "Class A" rating from a certain audio mag. Around a grand or so still, and it's also amazingly transparent. You can't even SEE these things...Too inexpensive for some to take seriously and that's their loss.

wolf_garcia
6,631 posts
 

Why is any man eating another man poison? "Man poison again, damn." Pool house, game room...I compel all of the help including my valet to listen to mediocre systems, and in the evening they just avoid me...could be the tubes or maybe it's me...

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