I will let the more technically astute than I debate the technical side of this
issue, but experiences with both tube and ss amps have shown me that
there is much more going on than "a watt is a watt", or wether
the amp in question is driven into clipping and how it reacts to being driven
into clipping. One experience in particular proved this to my ears:
I bought my first pair of Stax F-81 electrostats back in early '90's when my
system included a NYAL Moscode 600. The Stax are known for being a
brutal load for most amps and very inefficient. The Moscode is a well
regarded hybrid amplifier which delivers 300 ss watts per side and which
had, up until then, done a good job of driving a variety of speakers
including Thiels, Magnepans, and others; and sounded good doing so.
After looking for the Stax (which I considered, and still do, to have the best
midrange I have ever heard) for quite some time I finally found a pair. I still
remember well the disappointment I felt when I set up the Stax and heard
how poor the sound was. There was plenty of volume (as much as the
Stax can provide) without any obvious distortion, but the sound was thin,
lifeless and grainy. This led to trying several different speaker cables and a
couple of different preamps (?). No significant improvement; bad sound.
I was ready to sell the Stax when, coincidentally, I visited my local
appliance repair shop to buy some vacuum cleaner bags and I noticed on a
back shelf a repaired Dynaco ST-70 which had not been picked up for
months. The shop sold it to me for the cost of the repair ($85). I brought it
home and, just for the hell of it, replaced the Moscode with it; thinking, no
way! To say that I was amazed at the result would be a huge
understatement. The Dynaco's 35 tube watts did not play as loud as the
Moscode's 300 ss watts (duh), but it sounded beautiful (by comparison),
fairly refined, dimensional, and within a more narrow dynamic range it let
the music flow and move as it should; the music finally sounded alive. I
bought another pair of the Stax more recently and drive them to great effect
with Manley 200 tube monos. Ever since that first Stax/Dynaco experience
I have owned only two ss amps (BEL and Levinson) and compared to the
Manley 200 mono's which I currently use the differences between the ss vs
the tube amps are very similar to the differences between the Moscode and
the Dynaco; although at a much higher level of overall fidelity.
issue, but experiences with both tube and ss amps have shown me that
there is much more going on than "a watt is a watt", or wether
the amp in question is driven into clipping and how it reacts to being driven
into clipping. One experience in particular proved this to my ears:
I bought my first pair of Stax F-81 electrostats back in early '90's when my
system included a NYAL Moscode 600. The Stax are known for being a
brutal load for most amps and very inefficient. The Moscode is a well
regarded hybrid amplifier which delivers 300 ss watts per side and which
had, up until then, done a good job of driving a variety of speakers
including Thiels, Magnepans, and others; and sounded good doing so.
After looking for the Stax (which I considered, and still do, to have the best
midrange I have ever heard) for quite some time I finally found a pair. I still
remember well the disappointment I felt when I set up the Stax and heard
how poor the sound was. There was plenty of volume (as much as the
Stax can provide) without any obvious distortion, but the sound was thin,
lifeless and grainy. This led to trying several different speaker cables and a
couple of different preamps (?). No significant improvement; bad sound.
I was ready to sell the Stax when, coincidentally, I visited my local
appliance repair shop to buy some vacuum cleaner bags and I noticed on a
back shelf a repaired Dynaco ST-70 which had not been picked up for
months. The shop sold it to me for the cost of the repair ($85). I brought it
home and, just for the hell of it, replaced the Moscode with it; thinking, no
way! To say that I was amazed at the result would be a huge
understatement. The Dynaco's 35 tube watts did not play as loud as the
Moscode's 300 ss watts (duh), but it sounded beautiful (by comparison),
fairly refined, dimensional, and within a more narrow dynamic range it let
the music flow and move as it should; the music finally sounded alive. I
bought another pair of the Stax more recently and drive them to great effect
with Manley 200 tube monos. Ever since that first Stax/Dynaco experience
I have owned only two ss amps (BEL and Levinson) and compared to the
Manley 200 mono's which I currently use the differences between the ss vs
the tube amps are very similar to the differences between the Moscode and
the Dynaco; although at a much higher level of overall fidelity.