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Re: Which Is Better, Tube Amps or Solid-State Amps? [message #66739 is a reply to message #66596]

Tue, 22 March 2011 22:00

Bill Epstein
Messages: 1088
Registered: May 2009
Location: Smoky Mts. USA

Illuminati (2nd Degree)

AudioFred wrote on Wed, 09 March 2011 17:24

There was a time when budget priced solid state equipment sounded harsh and grainy compared to tube equipment. Solid state has improved quite a bit in the last ten years, and that $500 fifty watt amps sounds pretty good.

Funny, my experience is just the opposite. Back in the Seventies, along with platform shoes I had a Bedini 25/25 pure Class A, mosfet power amp that was wonderfully musical. I think it was about $350. In the Eighties my Muse 100 (I'm still on the lookout for a well-priced Muse amp) and Counterpoint SA-100 were excellent. All 3 of these played Acoustat 1+1s, not at all forgiving on top!

Over the past several years I've had An Accuphase E-450 integrated $4500, A Conrad-Johnson Sonographe 250 $1250, A Classe CR-70 $900 and a B&K 202ST, none of which had acceptable upper mids and treble. All were grainy, or etched, or both. The only really fine SS amps I've heard in the past 5 years were the big John Curl monoblocks $8000 and the McCormack DNA 1 $1995.

My Tubelab Simple SE has less than $400 in parts and is sublime with $50/pair EH 6CA7s. OK, maybe not sublime, but it kills any of the above-mentioned solid state.

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[Message index]

		Which is Better, Tube Amps or Solid-State Amps? By: woodfree on Thu, 23 December 2010 22:54
		Re: Which Is Better, Tube Amps or Solid-State Amps? By: Adveser on Fri, 24 December 2010 04:54
		Re: Which Is Better, Tube Amps or Solid-State Amps? By: Aki on Wed, 29 December 2010 18:25
		Re: Which Is Better, Tube Amps or Solid-State Amps? By: Wayne Parham on Wed, 29 December 2010 18:53
		Re: Which Is Better, Tube Amps or Solid-State Amps? By: Adveser on Wed, 29 December 2010 19:08
		Re: Which Is Better, Tube Amps or Solid-State Amps? By: Shane on Fri, 07 January 2011 10:24
		Re: Which Is Better, Tube Amps or Solid-State Amps? By: Adveser on Fri, 07 January 2011 12:04
		Re: Which Is Better, Tube Amps or Solid-State Amps? By: Shane on Fri, 07 January 2011 12:08
		Re: Which Is Better, Tube Amps or Solid-State Amps? By: AudioFred on Wed, 09 March 2011 16:24
		Re: Which Is Better, Tube Amps or Solid-State Amps? By: Bill Epstein on Tue, 22 March 2011 22:00
		Re: Which Is Better, Tube Amps or Solid-State Amps? By: steve f on Mon, 28 March 2011 13:38
		Difference Between Solid State Amp and Vacuum Tube Amp By: Hannah on Tue, 23 August 2011 02:11
		Re: Which is Better, Tube Amps or Solid-State Amps? By: WorkingWoman2017 on Fri, 29 September 2017 19:15
		Re: Which is Better, Tube Amps or Solid-State Amps? By: gofar99 on Sun, 01 October 2017 16:39
		Re: Which is Better, Tube Amps or Solid-State Amps? By: Rusty on Fri, 22 June 2018 09:47
		Re: Which is Better, Tube Amps or Solid-State Amps? By: Wayne Parham on Fri, 22 June 2018 11:23
		Re: Which is Better, Tube Amps or Solid-State Amps? By: positron on Sun, 26 June 2022 19:29

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