What year did tube lose to SS


There was a major paradigm shift when CD became the media of choice I think it happened in 1982. All of sudden I went to the recprd stores and found CDs instead.
Similarly although I was too young to remember first hand, there had to be a year that saw the golden era of HI FI all tubed mostly stereo gave way to Transistor or Solid State. Please take a guess. I have no statistic but I think it was 1964. Was that The year when more SS amps were produced than tubed amps?
mechans

Showing 1 response by atmasphere

In 1986 Pioneer and Sansui were both still making a tube receiver (all tube except for the phono section). By 1969 both had stopped. So my vote is 1968 was the last year that the major audio companies were seriously into tubes.

Mac got out in 1969. I think Marantz did too. In 1970 I don't think anyone was doing tubes except Electronic Industries, which was founded by Bill Johnson of ARC. Electronic Industries is still around (they make circuit boards including the boards for ARC gear) and obviously ARC was spun off, about 1975. So that period marked the Nadir of tubes and they have been on the resurgence ever since.

In the guitar amplifier world, it did not happen that way- tubes were and are the only game in town the whole time.