OK you've got a valve amp but what SS comes close

toms wait

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Does any? Sugden is often cited, but I've had 3 different ones and none were really keepers.
Closest was probably the Bijou ones. Pass labs also mentioned but big bucks and rare 2nd hand.
Can you get valve sound without the cherry red failure.
I know I am on record as liking valves but sometimes they can be a PITA
 
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uzzy

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It depends on what type of valve amp .. if you listen to a pair of EAR 509s blind you may well conclude they are SS amps.

As such in order to ask this question one really needs to define what valve amp you want to compare the SS amps to in order to find a close comparison (or indeed whether or not any can be close) in sound.
 

pmcuk

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Hybrid is one way to go. Use a solid state output stage and a valve driver stage. A good example of this is the Pass F4 which has no voltage gain and which needs a driver stage. If this is driven with a DHT driver stage like the 10Y, which is perhaps the best sounding DHT of all for this kind of job, then the whole amp is described as having the tone of the driver stage, i.e. the 10Y. I've built a couple of 10Y stages for guys with such solid state output stages like the F4 and I plan to build a F4 stage for myself as well. There are other alternatives like the MoFo or Mosfet Follower DIY build. It's a recognised way of making a solid stage outputs stage sound like the valve that's driving it. These aren't cpmmercially available but there's a thriving DIY community of Pass builders and other such clones, with long build threads on DIY Audio. You could use a Hypex output stage as well, or a Purefi if you want to go digital.
 
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karlsushi

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This would be just the ticket. A single-ended Class A Pass design, built by Joe Henry:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/13425322...GESM1K2RLi&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

I don't know if I've ever heard SS sound 'exactly' like valves, but these designs certainly have some of the same appealing characteristics. A little sprinkle of second order harmonic distortion probably has a lot to do with it.

And you probably won't have to touch the insides of a unit like this for about 25 years or more...

Details on the design of the Aleph J here: https://www.firstwatt.com/alephj.html
 

toms wait

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It depends on what type of valve amp .. if you listen to a pair of EAR 509s blind you may well conclude they are SS amps.

As such in order to ask this question one really needs to define what valve amp you want to compare the SS amps to in order to find a close comparison (or indeed whether or not any can be close) in sound.
It was a general open ended thought really, no particular sound or valve or type or spec in mind.
 

toms wait

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Hybrid is one way to go. Use a solid state output stage and a valve driver stage. A good example of this is the Pass F4 which has no voltage gain and which needs a driver stage. If this is driven with a DHT driver stage like the 10Y, which is perhaps the best sounding DHT of all for this kind of job, then the whole amp is described as having the tone of the driver stage, i.e. the 10Y. I've built a couple of 10Y stages for guys with such solid state output stages like the F4 and I plan to build a F4 stage for myself as well. There are other alternatives like the MoFo or Mosfet Follower DIY build. It's a recognised way of making a solid stage outputs stage sound like the valve that's driving it. These aren't cpmmercially available but there's a thriving DIY community of Pass builders and other such clones, with long build threads on DIY Audio. You could use a Hypex output stage as well, or a Purefi if you want to go digital.
I sort of understand most of that but what is DHT?
 

toms wait

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NVA would be a good choice if thinking of trying SS.
I've had a few SS, Sugden, XTC, Cyrus, Cambridge, but also Consonance, and Audio Innovations valve amps. If honest my absolute favourite was the XTC POW a gigantic thing with handles.
But they would be as ancient as my AI now.
 

pmcuk

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I sort of understand most of that but what is DHT?
There are 2 kinds of valves. The older types heated up through the cathode of the valve, which is part of the signal path. This is called "direct heating". Newer types of valve after WW2 and up to today had separate heaters to heat the valve, and are called "indirectly heated". There is a general feeling that the older directly heated valves, like 300b, 2a3 etc, sound better. The new generation of valves with heaters are much easier to use but they can't compete soundwise. Maybe they come close but they are still not "the best sound you can get".

DHT means "directly heated triode", and again the general feeling is that triodes sound better than pentodes. So a DHT has become audio nirvana for those who use them. Especially when like me they use all-DHT amplification with DHT small tubes like 26, 112A, 10Y, 46 etc.
 

toms wait

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There are 2 kinds of valves. The older types heated up through the cathode of the valve, which is part of the signal path. This is called "direct heating". Newer types of valve after WW2 and up to today had separate heaters to heat the valve, and are called "indirectly heated". There is a general feeling that the older directly heated valves, like 300b, 2a3 etc, sound better. The new generation of valves with heaters are much easier to use but they can't compete soundwise. Maybe they come close but they are still not "the best sound you can get".

DHT means "directly heated triode", and again the general feeling is that triodes sound better than pentodes. So a DHT has become audio nirvana for those who use them. Especially when like me they use all-DHT amplification with DHT small tubes like 26, 112A, 10Y, 46 etc.
Thank you that filled in the blanks. But my knowledge has giant gaping holes to read up on before my next/last amp purchase.
 

rabski

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'Comes close' is an ideal term (go figure). Some Quad, most Nelson Pass stuff, some older Japanese MOSFET and VFET designs.

NVA is a good call, as the ones I've heard (and reviewed here) fall into the ideal camp of things that don't 'sound' like valve or solid state. But then the best valve amplifiers don't sound like valve amplifiers either.

A few 'power house' solid state are surprisingly good, but I haven't heard enough so far to name names.
 
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rabski

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I sort of understand most of that but what is DHT?
As Andy has said. A directly heated triode valve. This includes things like the 300B, 845, 211, etc. power valves, which are wonderful things. It also includes a vast range of early, small signal valves. These are universally recalcitrant, bas***d, fiddly, pig-stupid f*****s.

Roughly translated, I have wasted spent the last few weeks of spare time trying to get my 01A build to work consistently :ROFLMAO:
 

toms wait

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As Andy has said. A directly heated triode valve. This includes things like the 300B, 845, 211, etc. power valves, which are wonderful things. It also includes a vast range of early, small signal valves. These are universally recalcitrant, bas***d, fiddly, pig-stupid f*****s.

Roughly translated, I have wasted spent the last few weeks of spare time trying to get my 01A build to work consistently :ROFLMAO:
Best avoid the small signal valves then if they cause Tourettes(y) which they appear to:)
 

cupples

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Is that an A1 from the early 90's with the crimped top, ideal for crumpets.
That's the one. They get a bad rep, which I think is unfair, because if they're serviced and the caps are replaced with slightly better specced ones and the thermal compound is properly applied they are a lovely little amp, nice sweet top end, good examples available for £250, assuming the right speaker match.
 
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