Anyone quit tubes due to sound?

...I'll take a vintage solid state receiver...

 

did you experiment with different tubes? can make a radical difference in sound quality.

 

I'm in a similar situation right now; I was happier with the tone of my Rega Brio-R than with my Fisher X-100, although the Fisher images better. I'm also liking the simplicity of solid state.

Once the weather gets cool again, I'm gonna buy a new set of EL84's and see if the Fisher doesn't sound great again.

 

I believe the phrase is “Once you go hollow state, no more solid state”. Okay, I made that up.

 

Nope.

I've used tube amps - usually Conrad Johnson, since the 90's. I've also had various solid state amps which I' d switch in for various reasons. I'd start losing interest in listening to music on my system when the SS amps were running. Switch back to the tube amps and...aaah...I can't leave my seat! I'm still using Conrad Johnson Premier 12s and also sometimes and Eico HF-81 integrated.

An audio buddy of mine switched from tube amps to SS a while ago just for less tube hassles. He's surprisingly happy with the sound. Me, I immediately noticed he lost something organic in his system, sounds more steely and hard, so I don't enjoy it like I used to. I don't want to tell him that though; some things you don't say to a fellow audiophiles ;-)

 

I’ve recently switched from an all ARC system (Ref 6, Ref 3 phono and GS150) to all Pass Labs. While tubes impart a euphoric sonic value especially in depth and smoothness, I find that well designed solid state offers greater speed and detail with quieter backgrounds.
In truth it’s six of one, half dozen of another, both have their benefits and drawbacks. For me it was the increasing cost of tube replacement.
A replacement set of tubes for the GS150 was $2400. I now listen about 4 hours a day on average. Additionally todays tubes do not measure up to the quality of tubes from the 60’s and 70’s.

 

I built a tube preamp (Bottlehead Foreplay) and while it sounded OK it was too noisy, probably due to my amateur building skills, so it sits on the shelf.

I now have a SS pre and run a tube power amp (Decware ZMA) and that is likely the last power amp I'll ever buy for serious listening. I do not roll tubes much, just sit and listen and smile.

 

Nope never quit them for the sound. Did quit them for a while because the brands I was choosing were very tough on tubes and I couldn't get more than 12-24 months out of them. Then I missed the sound, did some careful research, and found brands that have excellent tube life, and haven't had an issue since. I have to have tubes at least somwhere in the listening chain!

 

So at least one (ok 2 with TommyT) on this thread quit because better sound found in SS. I have a hifi buddy who also did the same. Never liked tubes full range (bass is not as good) and tried in in tri amp setup running highs from 1800 Hz up. It did sound quite good, beat some SS amps that I had in this spot but again a Pass Labs amp beat the tube amp and now is in this position. We maybe few but we do exist.

 

I don't see ever having a music system that does not include tubes. Long term I will be looking towards a tube preamp and solid state power amp- although I agree with Paul PS Audio that tubes are most effective as the input drivers of a power amp. I just do not want to pay the price for his BK signature amps.
I may also look into the audio by van allstine hybrid power amps (fet valve)

 

Found SS set up I'm really happy with and enjoying the convenience of (though still a valve in the phone stage). I'm going to try a valve power amp again at some point, just to see if it's annoyingly better enough to force the change.

 

and newerMany vintage tube amps do not sound that great unless upgraded and using the best tubes for that amplifier. I think many better solid-state amplifiers outperform some factory stock vintage tube amplifiers. Some vintage tube amps have too much distortion for my ears. However, an upgraded tube amp with the best tubes IMO sound better than most solid-state amps. I never heard a SS amp outperform my upgraded tube amp with very expensive tubes, but I certainly have not heard many newer SS amps either.

 

My tubes are pure music magic. Could never change.

Audible Illusions Modulus
Quicksilver Silver Mono blocks

Prefer this combo to the Mac C2600 but that’s just me.

 

This is what has actually kept me from getting a tube amplifier. The first thing you discover is "you gotta roll tubes". The rabbit hole journey begins...
Ideally, I would buy a used tube amp from someone who has the same speakers as I do, and has already found the tubes with the right "mojo", etc.
Maybe when I retire.

 

You don't need to. My tube amp is about 5 years old and I have never felt the desire to "roll tubes". I also have a tube DAC and a tube-phono pre-amp and I haven't changed a thing either.
I chose speakers that work very well with my amp and I am very happy so far. I didn't spend a fortune but nonetheless I think it is a joy listening to music or watching movies.

The only thing were I tried tube rolling is a head-phone tube DAC. It has one small tube so you don't have the problem of buying matched tubes and the type is pretty common so there is a wide selection available at a good price. I bought a few tubes in Russia and the Czech Republic but that is it. I don't know but I think it was already sold with a Electro Harmonix that sounded very nice.

 

Many amps are sold with Electro Harmonics as their OEM stock tubes, Rogue in the U.S. is one with their KT88 tubes.

I don't have any issues with EH sound quality wise.

 

No issues here either, not at all. To be honest, I always come back to the EH because overall the sound is the best I think (very harmonic)

I have forgotten all the other tubes in my amps. The point I wanted to make was that you can stay with the stock tubes until they are worn out. I am having a lot of fun without tube rolling. Maybe I will try something out if the tubes are fading in sound quality sometime in the future. I really don't know.

 

Over the years I have tried various modern tube amps, 6L6, EL34, EL84, and one other I don't recall. None of these amps thrilled me with the expected tube sound. Then about a year ago I bought a Fisher KX90 integrated amp and finally heard what all the fuss was about. I love the sound of this amp, unfortunately it's only 18 watts; still sounds good though.
About a month ago I bought a pair of In Line Maraschino amps from the Digital Amp Co. Wow, what a difference. I'm not letting go of the Fisher, but I'm listening to the little Maraschinos for the time being, and may use them long term. They definitely mate better with my speakers.
The thing is, both of these amps sound wonderful. And in very different ways.

 

Class D strikes again. Did you get their interconnects also?

M~

 

No, I have a couple sets of balanced cables so I was set there. I got the 48v power supply which allows the amps to produce 125 watts into 8 ohms. Prior to these amps, I have owned more than a handful of class D amps, mostly amps using various ICE modules. Class D amps nearly always sound good to spectacular upon first listen. It's living with them long term that's been hard for me as they always begin to irritate after a few weeks. That hasn't happened with the ILMs yet.

 

I quit tubes for a long stretch 'cuz of the waste heat and the maintenance cost. I had tubes in everything, even my Sonic Frontiers DAC and there were a ton of tubes in the Aesthetix Io and Callisto preamplification along with 16 more in the ARC monoblocks. After missing some of the magic they bring to the table for most of the past decade, I've recently reinvested in tubes for my two channel listening. This time round only in my linestage and phono stage preamps though.

 

I think this doesn't qualify but I'm not playing my records without a tube Phono preamp. I have one of those Chinese EAR 834P clones and I'm very happy with it, it sounds like a charm with the right tubes and it's built like a tank.

 

Quit tubes? Never.

Hell, even my first surround system was all tube monoblock. The wife freaked out. She thought I would set the dog on fire!!

 

And the cat hoped you would...