Is it true that having both a solid-state amp and a tube amp offers the best of both worlds?

[Sal1950]

So tubes really don't sound any different than a Solid State amp? I know they can be made to sound transparent but I assumed most tube amps were not going to that , as it is just a worse amp then.

The only reason to use tubes is because you WANT their distortion.

That's probably the best answer.
The very best of tube designs can do very well as preamps, power amps suffer more from the transformer-speaker impedance interface, making them sound different depending on speaker load.
Noise, heat and lack of long term reliability being major downfalls.
But very few new tube circuits are designed to sound "transparent", that's not what their the marketing hangs its hat on. If they don't add that special (distorted) sound, why bother?

 

[Marc v E]

I once listened to a high end, well measuring headphone tube amp that sounded nearly identical to its solid state brother. That's when my interest in amp magic ended.

Thankfully it was replaced by sub integration and eq, which imo gives the best of both worlds.

 

[Chanur]

That's probably the best answer.
The very best of tube designs can do very well as preamps, power amps suffer more from the transformer-speaker impedance interface, making them sound different depending on speaker load.
Noise, heat and lack of long term reliability being major downfalls.
But very few new tube circuits are designed to sound "transparent", that's not what their the marketing hangs its hat on. If they don't add that special (distorted) sound, why bother?

That was my point, if they are not making the tube amps to give pleasing distortion why bother with the tube amp. The only reason I guess would be the looks.

 

[JRowland]

That was my point, if they are not making the tube amps to give pleasing distortion why bother with the tube amp. The only reason I guess would be the looks.

Looks without too much bastardization was the appeal for me, cheap helped make it an easy decision.

 

[ObjectiveSubjectivist]

Having OTL tube amp could be fun.
With high impedance headphones like hd6xx series you can get slight bass boost which is welcomed by many.

And at night tube glow is kinda nice

 

[EJH]

For the first time in my life, I just got an amp that distorts the hell out of the music, and I LOVE IT. It is fun, fun, fun. Will not be my only amp, obviously, but I think you guys should relax a little. Dogmatic statements like "there aren't really 'two worlds' so much as amps that are doing their job properly, and amps that aren't" really do not sound respectful of people's subjective tastes and preferences. The question wasn't about having tubes as your only amp but as a complement. There are issues associated with tubes that can make them a pain to maintain, but some people find the distortion they offer very euphonic and pleasing, and I don't see why those people should be ridiculed by being told that they are really listening to garbage.

 

[Sal1950]

For the first time in my life, I just got an amp that distorts the hell out of the music, and I LOVE IT. It is fun, fun, fun. Will not be my only amp, obviously, but I think you guys should relax a little. Dogmatic statements like "there aren't really 'two worlds' so much as amps that are doing their job properly, and amps that aren't" really do not sound respectful of people's subjective tastes and preferences. The question wasn't about having tubes as your only amp but as a complement. There are issues associated with tubes that can make them a pain to maintain, but some people find the distortion they offer very euphonic and pleasing, and I don't see why those people should be ridiculed by being told that they are really listening to garbage.

You seem to miss the big point in the whole issue.
The High Fidelity passion started in the days when even the very best of equipment from source to speakers had serious problems. Those of us with the desire, celebrated as gear improved constantly searching for something that let us hear deeper into the recording with better detail and less noise & distortion. Most here were also pulled into the dark subjective side, getting conned into buying things like poorly measuring gear and expensive cables with BS claims of them producing some "magic".
Thankfully we at some point we learned to separate the cream from the crap.
In the end I want to hear, best as possible, what the artist and production team attempted to present to me, not what some distorted component turns it into. It's at least better to use transparent gear and combine it with some piece of distortion creating software or hardware that can be inserted or removed at will. Then your not stuck with a signal path that put's it's own sound signature on everything you play.
Your perfectly welcome to enjoy whatever it is you listen to, but I doubt you'll find ASR a very welcoming place to be. Still with time here we hope you may learn, like many have, that there is a better path to home music reproduction.
Cheers

 

[john61ct]

Actually I've been pleasantly surprised by the relative tolerance for a topic that goes against the usual mores of this community.

I think it helps that even advocates are explicitly acknowledging that tubes are for generating distortion effects

 

[dtaylo1066]

For some, it seems that second and third order harmonic distortion can be pleasing to the ear. For others, as in many things audio, it is a placebo effect. Same as the 8 supplements you are taking. Hmmm.

As a former EL34 tube lover (my unit broke and has been in drydock for 10 years), I have found that a transparent DAC, along with PEQ and/or room correction going into a Hypex amp can deliver great sound, and measure as such.

For the more subjectivist, get a low distortion tube buffer or preamp and you may be happy.

My WiiM Ulra surely delivers the goods for an astoundingly low price. And the EQ makes a HUGE difference! Most rooms are an audio horror show, and EQ comes to the rescue. I say forget the tubes and get a very good unit with EQ and, if you can, DIRAC.

 

[Keith_W]

Ever since I saw my first tube amp, I have wanted one. I eventually reached that goal about 20 years ago. It brought me so much joy every time I flicked the power switch and bathed in the warm glow of tubes. That alone put me in the mood for music.

Of course, these days I know better. But I still love my tube amp and I can't bear to let it go.

 

[Barrelhouse Solly]

If that's what you want. I got my first hifi gear in 1965, mono tube components including a Fisher tuner/preamp that looked very cool partly because it had a magic eye. My first stereo amp was a HK receiver with tubes. My next setup was a Dynaco Stereo 70 (used) with tuner and preamp. I didn't get my first solid state gear till the late '70s.