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Why is solid state more popular when tubes are better?

Yes tubes are more involved and require periodic maintenance. Hybrid tube components need not apply, these are really solid state.

Tubes are better for multiple reasons and yet the world and the trade prefers solid state. Those rare audio shops that are geared toward stereo listening and serious connoisseurs tend to Focus more on tubes.  Those in business who like to improve volumes tend to offer solid state.  All the YouTube channels looking to improve their business tend to be solid state.  Maybe because tubes require much more expertise to sell, and there's lesser and lesser to go around. Solid state is more of a fast food commodity.

Tubes are difficult for businesses due to all the maintenance and complexity so you see it less often. Much much easier to sell hybrids or solid state.

 

 

emergingsoul

Showing 1 response by spaceguitarist

spaceguitarist
30 posts
 

Tube amps are LOW FI , not HIFI, since 50 years

Talking about "fidelity" : tube technology is inferior to well designed SS technology, and deprecated since 50 years

Tube tech provide : high distorsion, high noise, high heat, low power, low reliability, high cost, non linear frequency response... Everything is worst in a tube amp (and please don't ask about even distorsion harmonics : these harmonics, as their name tell it : are relevant to distorsion... and there should be no audible distorsion at all in Hifi : so even harmonics are out of scope).

The only domain where tube is still superior is : LOW FI : mainly for guitar amps where high distorsion with majority of even harmonics and frequency response non-linearities are qualities, and high noise is not a problem, as well as low power on 15'' high efficiency guitar speakers.

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