Anyone has a reference system where amplification is SS ?

oy vay

this was a decent thread... until...

While it's true that many audiophiles often associate high-end audio systems with tube amplification due to the unique sound characteristics and aesthetic appeal of tube amplifiers, there are certainly exceptions, and transistor amplification can also be highly regarded in the audiophile community.

Transistor amplifiers have their own advantages, such as generally being more compact, durable, and less prone to maintenance issues than tube amplifiers. Solid-state amplifiers, which use transistors or other semiconductor devices, can provide excellent performance, precision, and reliability. They are often preferred in professional audio settings and for certain types of music where accuracy and transparency are crucial.

Audiophile preferences can be highly subjective, and some individuals may prefer the warmth, harmonic distortion, and "character" that tubes are known for. Others may appreciate the clarity, precision, and neutrality offered by well-designed transistor amplifiers.

In recent years, advancements in transistor technology and amplifier design have led to the creation of high-quality solid-state amplifiers that challenge traditional perceptions. Ultimately, the choice between tube and transistor amplification comes down to personal preference, the characteristics of the audio source, and the type of music being listened to. Some audiophiles may even have both types of amplifiers in their collection, using them in different scenarios or for different genres of music.
 

😂 Nice use of a Chat bot here. 

I think part of the contention here is that many audiophiles delve into tubes before encountering true reference grade SS which tends to be rather expensive. IME the value quotient can actually become inverse at a pretty low budget point, where a $2K tube amp can subjectively sound quite a lot better than $3 or $4K SS. Whereas in the very entry-level realm (under $1K or so) SS tends to perform better with most speakers. There’s this $1K to $6K range where tube amps often sound smoother and more euphoric and such, beyond which the value equation CAN (*key word) flip back in favor of SS. For example, I have yet to hear a tube product that actually sounds more refined than the average ≈$6K class-A SS product.

That isn’t to say tubes won’t produce more even order (“euphoric”) harmonics that get mistaken for “decay” and what not, but personally, I can often detect those even order distortions in spite of the assertion the brain always conflates them with music notes. This is especially the case when listening to certain genres of music. Tube amps, perhaps ironically, perform very poorly in masking their distortions when rendering heavy electric guitar. But if one only ever listens to pipe-n-slipper chamber or quartet recordings, then yeah, they’re not likely to ever parse between those low order distortions and the actual recording. 

I suspect another source of confusion can be attributed to the likelihood that tube fanatics 💩 on SS because the best they experienced was bottlenecked somewhere else in the system. I’d wager the most likely bottleneck in most SS systems is the preamp. Most SS preamps are rather mediocre sounding. They tend to sound either grainy or lean or flat. There are great ones but they tend to be the exception rather than the rule. But the exceptions can be surprisingly affordable. 
 

Regardless of all that, if a chain of components lacks the right synergy, it won’t matter whether it’s comprised of tubes or SS or a hybrid. So if you go audition a $500K system comprised of “reference” level (cuz reference = expensive right 😂😂) and it doesn’t sound as good as a the $50K tube-powered system in the next room, you must consider the leg work that was devoted or not devoted to getting the best from the SS. Of course the same can be said for tubes when it comes to subjective performance. But when it comes to all objective metrics we know how to (dirty word alert* 😮) measure, it’s simply indisputable that SS has a higher performance limit. We should not apply Flat-Earth thinking to what is considered state-of-the-art. That’s a fool’s endeavor. 

I dont have the great experience some here have with tubes versus S.S. at all levels ...

I think helomech post make sense...

Anyway my S.S. is the best amplifier i owned , the Sansui alpha, and the power transformer quality and the pre-amplification are critical ...

This is why his headphone out can beat one of the best headphone tube amplifier on the market because of synergy too for sure , this headphone amplifier i tried was very good and of the highest quality but synergy is the basis of component pairing ...😊

Then i discard anything nor any choices , nor tubes nor S.S. nor any other class A or D or hybrid etc nor any solutions...It is all up to synergy , costs and needs ...

Generalizations claims as rule are generally childish ...One thousand factors cannot be reduced to a rule or two about components choices ...

My rule, for the sake of contradicting myself here , 😁 was going for the minimal acoustical satisfaction threshold at the best quality/price ratio ...For that we need to be creative, purchasing gear upgrades will not be enough ...Money dont buy meaning, even acoustical meaning ...

By the way the minimal acoustical satisfaction threshold is enough for  me and  for most and it is in no way a mere stop-gap as some think not knowing acoustics fixated on gear price tags 😁... To reach the maximal acoustical satisfaction threshold is not given to all anyway , it ask for a very great amount of money and a more importantly a great deal of acquired  knowledge ...

It is way more easier and more affordable for all of us since Dr. Choueiri revolution for sure ,... We are lucky as music lovers to be here to profit from all gains in design and acoustics ... Thanks to Dr. Choueiri the distance separating the minimal satisfaction threshold and the maximal one has decreased for the benefit of all , asking less of us in works and money ..