Tube or solid state

My best sound has been tube preamp to tube amp with very efficent horn speakers (current setup). So, if your speakers are inefficient, you might someday change your speakers!

However there is budget, and love of existing speakers, and WAF, so ...

I’ve done SS preamp into tube amps (mono blocks) and been happy, just more happy with tube/tube.

I’ve done tube preamp to SS amp (those less efficient speakers needed plenty of power) and been happy, just ....

One or the other, tube preamp to SS amp. My friends bring their equipment here from time to time, recently a friends new tube phono stage, and alternate tubes the seller included. We tube rolled, found the preferred tubes for his, surprisingly the rectifier tube change made a big difference. Then compared his to mine. We both preferred mine, so it can be prefer ’this particular’ unit, or the which tubes in that preamp.

I settled on a CD player, vintage Sony xa5400. I liked it thru a friends SS preamp, we both loved it thru my tube preamp. I might not have kept it if I heard it thru my old SS preamp.

The ’right’ tube selection can definitely make a difference in preamps, amps, phono stages ... it’s hard and can be pricey to find the preferred ones (not better, preferred).

A more thorough answer

Tubes/SS: Only one tubes, Other SS: which one tubes = best choice?

My Answer: Tube Preamp into SS Amp.

Yap, Yap, Yap, but I have done each combo and you asked.

First, let’s add the consideration of the phono stage, in preamp or separate, tube or SS.

I’ve been happy with each combo, but thoroughly happy with tube/tube with tube preamp’s phono. (current setup, with very efficient vintage horn speakers).

Budget, Love of existing speakers, and WAF (or mate’s AF) are involved, but you could change the speakers to more efficient ones to go tube/tube now or someday. Efficent Speakers is always my advice for a new setup.

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I had three setups for a few years, all these efficient horn speakers.

1. tube amp mono blocks (Fisher 80AZ, 1958),

2. Tube Fisher Receiver (Fisher 500C, 1964)

3. SS preamp (McIntosh SS C28) into McIntosh SS Amp (MC2250).

Three sets of matching speaker wire, color tape, easy to reach colored bananas to switch.

CD/LP/R2R. Sgt. Pepper; Everyone chose LP over CD; everyone chose R2R over LP (even though R2R had the most S/N noise).

Next R2R thru SS or Tubes. Always R2R Tubes/Tubes over SS.

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Currently Vintage Tube Preamp (McIntosh mx110z ) with it’s Phono, to modern Tube Amp (Cayin A-88T) to Vintage Horn Speakers.

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I’ve been happy with each combo, but thoroughly/most happy with this vintage tube tuner/preamp tuner(McIntosh mx110z); into fairly modern tube amp (Cayin A-88T), into these vintage (1958 efficient horn speakers).

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If new, I always recommend efficient speakers so Tubes can be used/tried someday now or someday.

Resultant lower powered equipment offers not just lower price, but also smaller/lighter/more choices of location (especially if remote control is involved).