Solid state preamp grain compared to valves

[Pharos]

From Marco;
"Who says so? And I don't care about measurements, as they don't always tell the full story. "

I do care about measurements, and they don't tell the full story, but they may in the future..

To lol at a simple statement of truth which is 100% accurate seems inappropriate to me, it was not meant to be a complete treatise of all causes of poor sound quality, but just a statement of a simple isolated fact.

To be an objectivist is surely not to assume that the stance explains everything in an all encompassing and complete way, it is more a declaration of validation of objective criteria, which necessarily are an incomplete attempt at defining performance.

From my POV it is a dangerous path to allow oneself to be seduced by a sound on it apparent subjective enjoyability.

This is so to me because the psychology of our existence shows that we easily tend to rely on comfort zones to avoid anxiety and cognitive dissonance, in all areas of life; it is a human trait which aids survival by allaying anxiety.

Since my recent changes I have been very aware of how I have previously missed detail, and how now often the art is not now beguiling; the subtle improvement has radically changed the presentation and overall picture

I get the impression that the hot weather is affecting the debate here.

[Marco]

Hi Dennis,

From Marco;
"Who says so? And I don't care about measurements, as they don't always tell the full story. "

I do care about measurements, and they don't tell the full story, but they may in the future..

To lol at a simple statement of truth which is 100% accurate seems inappropriate to me, it was not meant to be a complete treatise of all causes of poor sound quality, but just a statement of a simple isolated fact.

To be an objectivist is surely not to assume that the stance explains everything in an all encompassing and complete way, it is more a declaration of validation of objective criteria, which necessarily are an incomplete attempt at defining performance.

From my POV it is a dangerous path to allow oneself to be seduced by a sound on it apparent subjective enjoyability.

This is so to me because the psychology of our existence shows that we easily tend to rely on comfort zones to avoid anxiety and cognitive dissonance, in all areas of life; it is a human trait which aids survival by allaying anxiety.

Since my recent changes I have been very aware of how I have previously missed detail, and how now often the art is not now beguiling; the subtle improvement has radically changed the presentation and overall picture

I get the impression that the hot weather is affecting the debate here.

All fair points. However, I was simply commenting on your earlier statement of:

"The measured distortion figures on SS compared with valve would tend against valves being better."

You've agreed that measurements (currently) don't always tell the full story, so therefore that premise applies to the measured distortion figures you're referring to above, in terms of supposedly 'proving' that SS is 'better'.

'Better', perhaps, if you think that's all that decides how good an amplifier sounds, but when you understand that there's a lot more than that to creating a good amplifier (pre or power), you accept that distortion figures are just another fairly meaningless spec, which in reality tells you very little about how that amplifier reproduces music.

Marco.

[Joe]

I get the impression that the hot weather is affecting the debate here.

I think discussing Brexit would be more interesting than this thread's sort of 'oh yes it is'/'oh no it isn't' exchange.

FWIW I've tried active and passive preamps, valve and SS power amps (various combinations of the two) and I couldn't say, with any degree of certainty, which was 'better', in any sense of the word. 'Different', maybe, but not necessarily in a 'SS = more grain' way.