Tube or solid state

Both tube and solid state audio components have their benefits. My tube gear is euphonic sounding, whereas my solid state gear tends to be more analytical.

Hybrid components can offer the best of both worlds. It all depends on what type of other components you’re using in your audio system. In particular, what speakers you have.

I have a tube (hybrid) system and a ss system in the same room the differences are huge, the tube system sounds much better, warmer, more magic. The ss system has much less noise and sounds more accurate (true to the original recording). In recording studios like Capitol they use analog mixers and then record to 192khz ProTools digital. Tubes are warmer a lot like your favorite blanket and your Moms hugs. SS is colder, cleaner and more to the point like your rich aunt who has that house that never had anything out of place. 

My professional mixing is SS, my listening for fun is tube. But I'm getting fed up with changing all these stupid tubes and not really knowing when they start loosing their magic it happens slowly and soon enough you are listening to an expensive system that sounds not as good as it should.

So many great hybrids out in the market now, Pathos, Canor, Rogue, Vincent, Unison Research. Take your pick.

Was not impressed with the McIntosh performance or sound. But heck that’s me. 

i think Tubes are better for Jazz and Classical music like Vaughn Williams string works where you can recreate that ethereal sound you get with a live symphony. for Rock its solid state all the way, so ideally 2 amps are needed.

This might come as a shock for some but its impossible to design amps or preamps to favor a certain genre of music. If the amp is bad on massed strings it will be bad on electric guitars with heavy drums too.

@atmasphere Wrote:

This might come as a shock for some but its impossible to design amps or preamps to favor a certain genre of music. If the amp is bad on massed strings it will be bad on electric guitars with heavy drums too.

I agree. Just as you can’t design speakers for certain genre of music.

Mike