Are their any solid state receivers or integrated amps that sound almost tube like ? Looking to purchase a vintage amp 30-70 watts that can mimic the warm sound of a tube amp . Suggestions by brand appreciated . Thanks
Vintage Marantz from the 1970's tend to be described as tube like...I am sure others will chime in with the model numbers. As the owner of some Fisher amps and a Jolida however I do not think my Marantz 1060b sounds very tube like....although it does sound great with right speakers (EPI for example)
Since we have some attaction to both camps (SS/Tube). I'll attempt a thread hijack (sort of).
Is there anyone that has experience with both SS and Tube that has tried the Tube device from Grant Fidelity? It has my interest. I love sound coloring devices (EQ, reverb, expander, Hologram generator). Just wondering how much effect the Grant device offers.
I know the thread sounds like everyone that bought one and uses it find it great. Any detractors? Feel free to PM me.
Now back to our regularily scheduled thread.
Right now I'm running my restored 1978 GAS Son of Ampzilla as my main amp. It really has a nice tube like sound to it. I've said that for years. I am running it with a tube preamp though.
I have a lot of the solid state stuff that is purported to sound like tubes. Sansui Au-999, 5000x, 9090db, McIntosh 1900, Marantz 2275, Pioneer sx-939, etc, and I have to say that in a simple head to head with my tube gear..it doesn't sound like tubes. If you are after a sort of veiled warmth, that sounds very pleasing, they all do that. But the tubes manage to have that lush, tactile sound while still retaining a lot of detail and clarity that the other gear doesn't seem to have, at least not in the same amount or quality. I wouldn't describe my tube gear as 'warm', but I would describe the early solid state stuff I have like that.
The closest I have to 'tubey' solid state is my Sony TA-n86b Class A amp or my Robert Grodinsky Model 5 power amp. Even then, a short comparison with my Stereo 70 or Fisher SA-300b points out that there are still big differences.
One things that has worked for me is running a tube preamp with a solid state power amp. It gives me a good dose of the best of both worlds.
I did some work with Bob Grodinsky many years ago when I worked @ Koss. Great guy, did you know him?
I had a GAS SOA, and Sorry... not a winner for tube sound... Granted, they sound great, but I can say first hand they do not compare..