Classical music lovers out there

[Paul]

Do you prefer the tubes or solid state ?

what you guys using it ?

 

[astrotoy]

Tubes - SET.

Larry

 

[Rayooo]

Conrad Johnson baby! :celebrate008_2:

 

[Julot]

When they're well made, I don't think there's much of a difference. Our ICOS system are all dipolar transistors (and without capacitors) -- and we try to make sure they don't have their own sound, as opposed to many tube machines (but not the best ones, that can be exemplary transparent).

This leads to a question I've wanted to ask: how many classical music lovers are there among "audiophiles" around here? In France, your typical hi-fi shop is usually at least well educated in classical music and has classical music CDs. But here in Denmark, I've been meeting dealers and users for a couple of months now, and not one even had classical CDs.

It's not just a question of taste: I have found that people who know classical music and are used to listening to acoustic instruments in concert halls have very different expectations and ways to listen. I find a whole class of audiophiles seem to only know MP3 (or at least electronic) music, find more realistic sound sounds wrong, focus on fundamentals but can't seem to hear the harmonics.

 

[Mike]

I'm not a lover of classical music, but I do listen once in a while.

For Mahler and other big symphonic classical music, with extreme dynamics testing ones system, I prefer solid state. I've always found Mahler Symphonies to be a great test of the dynamics of ones system and specifically, the dynamic capabilities of ones amps.

Comparing the dynamic capabilities of the various tube amps I've owned - both push pull and SET to my current Pass XS amps (and many other Solid State amps I've owned) would be comical. The XS amps look at me as I push them through a Mahler symphony and say "is that all you got?"

I've done this test many times and as much as I love tubes, there is undeniably things most great solid state amps can do better - complex dynamics.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[wisnon]

When they're well made, I don't think there's much of a difference. Our ICOS system are all dipolar transistors (and without capacitors) -- and we try to make sure they don't have their own sound, as opposed to many tube machines (but not the best ones, that can be exemplary transparent).

This leads to a question I've wanted to ask: how many classical music lovers are there among "audiophiles" around here? In France, your typical hi-fi shop is usually at least well educated in classical music and has classical music CDs. But here in Denmark, I've been meeting dealers and users for a couple of months now, and not one even had classical CDs.

It's not just a question of taste: I have found that people who know classical music and are used to listening to acoustic instruments in concert halls have very different expectations and ways to listen. I find a whole class of audiophiles seem to only know MP3 (or at least electronic) music, find more realistic sound sounds wrong, focus on fundamentals but can't seem to hear the harmonics.

Julot,

Do you own the book "Tubes Audio, anciens et recents" by Francis Ibre. A pal loaned me his copy and its seems very interesting.