with Lp's - a tube RIAA preamp using no loop feedback will generally give more realistic timbres on vocals and wind instruments than most solid state - Ernest Tubb sounds a hellva lot more alive on double mu-follower preamp with dreaded Lm-317 floating regulator PS than on PS-III - can't be much diff in RIAA eq - no line stage in either - other preamps such as Citation I w. jillion contacts, caps, and several feedback loops and unregulated supply will sound different again.tube power amps - depends upon speaker - with sealed back chamber basshorns having low z variation, low damping factors can be "ok" - SE can sound excellent as can push-pull triode sans feedback (pp may alow better bass control w. reflex - more usable primary L) - output Z interaction is part of the result but suspect low-gain structure allowing deletion of feedback will sound "pleasing" in many instances - more 'holographic' neat 3D effect on guitars, etc - in other instances with large reflex peaks - might muddy up especially SE w. interstage where LF distortion lurks - old mod Eico ST70 running ppp 6BX7 triode w/o feedback and 6DJ8 up front were acceptable in bass with surplus Klipsch 8" in pseudo-D'Appolito Madisound offered some years back - Eico iron good to >70Kha into resistive load
consumer grade stuff vs midline vs high end solid-state . have heard extremely loud sounds from cheap 5 channel receivers running 2-channel maybe not most refined of solid-state but strong enuff to push 95dB sensitivity - @175 vs $7000?? which 'sistor to choose?
Freddy