Tube vs. Solid State Amplifiers

 I like my power bulbs just fine, thank you very much; I don't much care for dry, analytical sound, I prefer the pleasing distortion that 'power bulbs' provide.

The Days when a Valve Amp was with a Bass Bloom and Richness are no longer with us.
There are Valve Amp's that can offer a perception of Tranparency with the most taut Bass.

The Days of SS Amp's being Excruciatingly Transparent and Clinically Incisive are no longer with us.
There are SS Amp's that have a presentation that can create a perception of a Transparent / Clean performance that entices relaxation.

I am a Individual who has a Long History with Valve Amplification and was Predujudiced to SS Amplification, I could not embrace the presentation.

I am a convert today, my willingness to Travel and Meet other
'Like Minded' HiFi folk in their own environments and hear their offerings
has been extremely fruitful to my perceptions and opened up New Thoughts for the better, when it comes to SS vs Valves.
      
The Following is a edit of a Post I put onto another Thread.

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I have listened to your latest youtube presentations and am left with the usual good impressions that you are regularly creating,  and left with the wish to hear the System in the Room.

With the Soulution Amplifier now used within Jay's System, I can now say I am familiar with this 'Brand' as a Pre Amp' and Mono Block Power Amp' arrangement and have Auditioned them with both CD and Vinyl Sources through Maxonic TW1100 Mk II Speakers.

I can't say how the Amp' Set Up I have very much enjoyed when heard, compares to Jay's own Set Up.
One is heard via Youtube and the other in a Dedicated Listening Room.

I would like to think I have an impression in my mind of what is on offer,
due to my experience of being present when auditioning one of the
Systems .

I have heard the Soulution Amp's used to audition a variety of devices,
some owned by myself, more so, I have heard them compared to a selection of Power Amplification from Commercial 211 Valves through to OTL Valve and Kit Built DIY Solid State.

The Soulution Amp's are the Resident Amps in use at a HiFi Club Event
I periodically visit, where members assemble from throughout the UK
to present their projects they are working with.

The Soulution Amp's I have heard are, as said, very impressive and can captivate a audience when the Source and Speakers in use is a match for their performance capabilities.

I know Jay is only interested in off the shelf products, even though some are obscure and not easy to source.
As a result the following might not appeal to his plans for presentations.

A few years past I have heard a Neurochrome Monoblock Power Amplication in use at the HiFi Club Event as one of the Amp's on a Demonstration.

The Neurochrome's Demonstration was also a comparison to the
Soulution Monoblock Power Amp's, as these were in use prior to the Amp' exchange.

For the Short Duration of the presentation, the performance qualities between the Soulution / Neurochrome were almost indistinguishable,
the two separate performances were extremely close.

How this would be reported on as a extended comparison in a Home System might effect the outcome of the report.

I know one thing that is assured,  the cost of a Neurochrome and how it delivers is very attractive.

The cost differences between the Neurochrome and other reputable Branded Power Amp's is broad.
The Bang for Buck, VFM, element attached to the Neurochrome is a much wanted commodity.

Since the Event referred to above, there has been a number of reports sent out by different individuals about their experience with the Neurochrome Amp's.
With the result being, that a run on Neurochrome Builds has been taking place within the UK.
I have been fortunate to have been able to hear a couple of different build versions ( prior to Covid ) in a few different systems.
When compared to other Power Amplification that has been in use, both Valve and Solid State, each build version of teh Neurochrome under audition has been capable of leaving a positive impression and good memory.

I would encourage a Neurochrome Audition, 'if a audtion is possible to create' , as it might just prove a valuable offering as a option to your site visitors that can't extend their budgets to the limits of the usual equipment under review.  
   

I have followed these discussions with great interest over the years in search of the best solution for me.  I most recently went through integrated SS amps from Parasound and Hegel, then graduated to separates with a Prima Luna Evo 300 preamp paired with an excellent YBA Passion 400 SS amp rated at 100 wpc to drive my Harbeth 30.2s.  I still felt something was missing, so added a single REL T9i subwoofer after being convinced that it would be a better addition that rolling tubes in my Prima Luna.  The REL is compelling, but I still wondered if I needed more amps.  I wasn't looking for louder, but fuller and bigger sound.  My search ended with the purchase of a tube amp with less rated power than my SS amp.  A dealer kindly agreed to come to my house to A/B my YBA against a Rogue Audio ST100, which is rated at less power than the YBA.  After about two-plus hours of listening back and forth, I concluded that the Rogue Audio tube amp sounded more musical, fuller and more dynamic in Triode mode than the more powerful YBA -- which is an excellent amp!  I never find listening with the Rogue Audio ST 100 to be in any way fatiguing and am a very happy camper.  After years of being convinced that I was not and never would be a tube guy, well, I'm a tube guy.  This obviously doesn't solve the mysteries of SS vs tube amps or how many watts, but I must admit I was surprised at where I ended.    

Tube amplification particularly NOS EL34 had me at hello. It’s that much better to my ears than high end solid state or class D.  The 3D holographic imaging which I refer to as density you just can’t reproduce with solid state ( at least not AB). 

I was an SS guy for thirty years until I purchased a modern KT120 tube amp. Wonderful! However, the reliability issues and the regular cost of replacing tubes was onerous. I happily went back to various SS amps, including D-class.

Eventually I came across a vintage restored pair of Quad II mono block tube amps, and to my surprise, they have been utterly reliable and with years of use, have never blown a tube.