AudioRoundTable.com: Silicon Valley » Which is Better, Tube Amps or Solid-State Amps?

Home » Audio » Silicon Valley » Which is Better, Tube Amps or Solid-State Amps? (a discussion on the ideals of each type of amplifier)

Show: Today's Messages :: Navigator :: Polls
E-mail to friend

Re: Which Is Better, Tube Amps or Solid-State Amps? [message #66596 is a reply to message #65629]

Wed, 09 March 2011 16:24

AudioFred
Messages: 377
Registered: May 2009
Location: Houston

Illuminati (1st Degree)

I'm fully converted to solid state. The overwhelming disadvantage of tubes in in the cost. You can buy a new 50 watt/ch solid state integrated (NAD, Cambridge Audio, etc.) for about $500 msrp. The equivalent 50 watt/ch tube amp, with high quality transformers, etc, sells for about $1,500-$2,000. You can get a no-name Chinese amp on Ebay for less, but there will be quality control issues.

The second disadvantage is in a tube amp's reliability. Power tubes blow, and they usually take a cathode bias resistor with them, so you're looking at a repair job. I have four high quality tube amps, and right now two are out of service.

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. In an effort to gain some "tube warmth" I added a tube buffer to the system that includes a $170 Oppo player and a $500 Cambridge Audio Azur integrated. I gained a very slight warmth but lost a very slight amount of resolution, and decided I prefer the system without the extra component in the signal path.

Report message to a moderator

[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

Previous Topic:	Parasound A23/A23+ - class A
Next Topic:	Tubes versus Transistors

Goto Forum:

-=] Back to Top [=-

[ Syndicate this forum (XML) ] [

] [

]

Current Time: Thu Apr 25 20:34:14 CDT 2024