Amps - valve or SS?

I've been using both Class A valves and Class A solid state for years and I like both. They do sound different, but I would not like to say one is better than the other. I switch from one to the other periodically according to mood, but they both sound bloody marvellous to me!

I'm using class A SS and valves, both are SE and it's hard to detect much differnce.

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Originally Posted by Gordon Steadman

This is a very good question but........... there seem to be few that sit on the fence and most fall in one camp or the other.

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Well, I have an arse full of splinters! ;) A bit like direct drive v belt v idler (etc) I don't really give a monkeys what the "technology" is, I let my ears decide - there are good and not so good implementations of every topology - so why limit yourself? Budget is my limitation, and so far at the lower end of the market SS wins, but I would love some tubes one day, not least the pride of ownership which I personally feel is a big factor with hifi - and why not?

I am running an excellent Solid State: but truth be told I would love to be running good quality Valves. I am running a SS partly for pragmatic reasons and partly because my SS is so good, and does sound somewhat 'valve-like' for that matter.

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Originally Posted by Ned664

I have been reading a bit about valve amps, one passage included the phrase 'I am now listening to music rater than sound' apparently after conversion to using a valve amp. I wondered whether other members have had any experience of the change from SS to valve good or bad?

Thanks

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Sadly solid state and valve amps always seem to divide opinion. I'm not sure why TBH.

Let me state that I haven't heard a valve amp for a few years. IMPO there are either good or bad amps. A good SS amp is every bit as good as a valve amp, just as bad valve... is no worse than a bad SS.

Personally, it boils down to practicality: I have my Leema on for about 6-8 hours a day - this includes my usage, Mrs. P and little'un watching her DVDs via the amp. Based on the real fact that most valve tend to overheat, allied to poor perceived power. Obv you'll need load-friendly speakers i.e. 6 ohms upwards and minimum of 90db (these figures can/will depend on the quality of the amp chosen).

Regards the SQ between the two will also vary depending on partnering equipment. A good SS amp can sound as natural as a valve.

As always this observation is based purely on my own experiences.

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Hmm... my Leak is going upstairs into system 2 next week. Being replaced with an OTL that strangely, has no output transformers at all

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I will be interested how that goes. In theory a standard OTL valve amp is the worst possibly match or a pair of statics.

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Originally Posted by lurcher

I will be interested how that goes. In theory a standard OTL valve amp is the worst possibly match or a pair of statics.

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I tried it, thanks to the designer (Firebottle) in my system first. Sounds wonderful.

It took a lot to replace an amp I've been using happily for over 20 years.

It will have to use a fair amount of NFB to get the output impedance down to an acceptable level thats for sure...

What's an otl amp?

Output Transformerless, so not strange at all really that it has no output transformers - it would be a strange one that had them!
(Sorry Gordon there's no excuse for my rampant pedantry!)