Tubelike SS Power amp

I think the more SS amps try to sound like tube amps the less they do. Yes, designers can get a soft sound but then it's neither fish nor fowl. There are a handful of classic amps that can close, but they are far and few. 1st rule is you have to have true class A to approach tubes- no exceptions.

My best finds are (all on my top five all time amp list): Threshold SA-1s (rare and expensive $3500 to 5000), Luxman M-05 (rare $1100 to 2500) and Krell KMA 160s (pricy as well $2800 to $3800).

Peter

Perhaps I'm bias since I own the Pass XA60.5. Yet to really have that body of sound, that referred 3D feel, it takes very expensive speakers. Most people would say tube amplifiers made by McIntosh and BAT are outstanding. Yet to significantly outrun the XA60.5 with my Infinity Prelude MTS using the mentioned amplifier brands (their top model), it takes speakers costing in the range of $50K and up. Without mentioning name and thus can possibly belittle a well respected speaker model, even a $35K pair of speakers just does not quite make that leap. My current setup certain has that palpable feeling as if I'm almost at the live concert without the side noise. I'm referring to that complete 3D real life effect previously mentioned by several people here.

I drove my Walsh 5's for years with a Sumo Andromeda II - beast of a MOSFET amp with a warm tubey sound - very nice.

Presently, I'm using Wyred4Sound ST-1000 power amp and the sound is every bit as warm as the Sumo, but quieter background but superior inner detail and soundstage ambiance retrieval.

I'd sell the Sumo but I'm too lazy to pack it up!

it's interesting that there are two threads whaving opooiste aims, namely this one and another , requesting ss amps which are not warm and euphonic.

it is easier to assert names of solid state amps which do not sound like "classic tube amps", than to specify a solid state amp which sounds like a "classic tube" amp.

i would be curious to hear some definitions of warm and euphonic and the concomitant ss amps satisfying such criteria.

i think an astute listener can discern the difference between solid state and "classic tube" amps. as for modern tube amps and ss amps, the differences are harder to discern.

I would tend to think that amplifier designers look for ways to be more faithful to the natural sound. Effects like "warm", "euphonic", "precise", or "sharp" should not be that noticeable in better amplifiers, tube or SS, at least the Class A solid state amplifiers.