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What SS do you think comes closest to tubes?

fiddlefye

fiddlefye

AK Subscriber
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Quite a few years ago I realized that if I wanted to listen to audio in my little listening room I would have to switch out the tube power amp for something that produces less heat. I went on a little quest to try to find a SS power amp that came as close to the sound of my tube amp as I could manage. I went through several of the amps usually cited, a number of Quads etc. and finally ended up with a McIntosh MC-250 as the closest I have found. Maybe it's the transformer outputs, but mine sings with the same sweetness as the EL-84s.

What amps have you tried that worked for you? I know other folks must have the same issues to work with....
 
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Class-A amps would be the usual suspect.
However, they run hot. Hence not much advantage over tubes.

Another candidate would be MOSFET.
I once had a Redgum RGi60. A great tube-sounding amp.
Often referred to as '300B on roid'.

Rega Brio-R wasn't too bad either.
 
I have one MC50 but can't say. The Adcom GFA-535 is supposed to be especially nice but I haven't made the comparison to my Fishwin P/P 6L6 amp yet.

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Philosophically I would think the MOSFET and Class A amps would have come closest, but of the amps I actually tried it was the transformer output one that actually had the sound I was looking for.
 
Well no SS actually sound exactly like tube.

Then again, it's not like tubes all sound alike.
 
Ok I have to call this one.

If either a tube amp or a SS amp has any other sound than that of the source, who wants it?

What does a tube amp sound like? :D
What does a SS amp sound like? :D
 
Classe CAP amps. Your in Canada and should have an easier time tracking one down since they were made over in Quebec. With some patience of course.
 
davidro said:
Well no SS actually sound exactly like tube.

Then again, it's not like tubes all sound alike.
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So true. In my case it was trying to find a near match to my CJ. If I'd been trying to match a different amp maybe my choices would have been different.
 
fiddlefye said:
Philosophically I would think the MOSFET and Class A amps would have come closest, but of the amps I actually tried it was the transformer output one that actually had the sound I was looking for.
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And it seems you like the Mac house sound?

The new MC 275s sound so clean and the newer Mac SS amps sound so warm that there is hardly a separation of the products these days.
 
The mid 1970s V-FET amps are supposed to have a very tube like sound. To my ears, my Sony TAN-8550 V-FET sounds similar to my Citation 2 tube amp (both amps rebuilt).
 
I always thought some cap coupled SS amps sounded like tube amps. I have a Marantz model 1060 that did before a major upgrade. A model 16 I have has a warm sound.
 
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