Tube versus SS



Since I just installed some rather expensive NOS 6922 Telefunken tubes in my Phono-preamp, that yielded outstanding results, I decided to compare CD to Phono.

From the best of "Jacintha", CD, I selected "Danny Boy". Her voice emerged deep center stage from a jet black noise free back ground. It sounded more like what I expected from the analog.

That was followed by special LP's of Dinah Washington that had recently arrived. Those LP's were everything I expected with the NOS 6922 Telefunken Tubes in the Phono, but the surprise was the fact that I couldn't tell the two apart; both were outstanding.

What may surprise you, is the fact that I attribute these outstanding results from the COVID 19 "lock-down" which has given us the quietest "grid" ever in history. That means those of us with lesser means have the same AC power as the richest who can afford expensive AC power "clean uppers".

BTW, I have made extensive comparisons to recordings made before and after, the lock-down that confirm just how much of a difference it's made. I must admit that I had doubts about expensive power conditioners, but this confirms that fantastic results come from taming the wild AC.

It's my belief that we can not achieve better results than we have from the current "quiet grid", which means power conditioner or no power conditioner, we are all presently getting the same results.

Could it be that the dominant factor when comparing tube and SS when they both are of comparable quality is "The quality of the AC"?
   
orpheus10
Speculative, anecdotal at best with regard to COVID19. 

My stereo (just dated myself: who uses “stereo” anymore? It’s “audio”) sounds horrible when it’s humid out. Does everybody else’s? I don’t think so. 

As for ss v tube: ss sounds less colored more accurate, but flat to me. Tube more dimensional, lifelike, but with “idiosyncrasies”. We all hear differently, have our preferences. I prefer the later. 

Speculative, anecdotal at best with regard to COVID19. 

My stereo (just dated myself: who uses “stereo” anymore? It’s “audio”) sounds horrible when it’s humid out. Does everybody else’s? I don’t think so. 

As for ss v tube: ss sounds less colored more accurate, but flat to me. Tube more dimensional, lifelike, but with “idiosyncrasies”. We all hear differently, have our preferences. I prefer the later. 

Many "observant" people have noticed that on holidays, and late night their rigs sounded better. 
Orpheus10 - could it be sir that on holidays and late nights, the objective listening is done under the influence of ones favorite recreational stimulant or narcotic? 
If you don’t need massive amounts of power to run your system would a stand-alone box regenerator be enough?

when you say "your system", are you talking ’a’ system or.......’my’ system?

obviously ’my’ system is built on lots of amplifier headroom. i have very efficient speakers so even though my main amps are powerful, they use around 10% or less of their potential. same with my class D bass tower amps. so while rating the re-generator capacity i’m figuring full power applied, in reality it’s a small fraction of that is ever used.

so for my own system i do want plenty of headroom for the re-generating capacity, and do prefer the 10kva Equi=tech.

but in a smaller system, or if i was not concerned about having the headroom with my current system, i do think i could be well served by a plug in smaller box re-generating unit.

but how i look at it is with my upper 6 figure investment in gear and a clean sheet of paper build opportunity; whether i spend $5k on a stand power alone box, or triple that, $15k all in, on the Equi=tech, barely dents my budget picture. assuming you have the choice in your building to go my direction, it’s crazy not to. but if that is not logistically possible, the smaller box approach is just fine......and would be ’enough’ unless you are crazy like me.

last night i listened to ’Do You Feel Like I Do’ from the MoFi pressing of ’Frampton Comes Alive’ at Warp 11. every molecule in my room was energized. i was in another dimension. the system was not stressed or congested even on the peaks. that is BIG music with a capital ’B’. i got no sense of reproduced music......and to carry that off it does take headroom in the amps and power grid. no sag or distortion. how important is that to you?
Hi Mike,  I meant 'a' system.  We would all like to have a system like yours, but for many of us, it's not in the cards.  So my question was whether a small regenerator would be adequate for a more modest system.  Thanks again for your reply.