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minimus67 t1_j9mrkq9 wrote

I’ve owned very good tube amps, including an Apex Teton, and very good solid state amps, like the Luxman P1-u.

I’ve been in this hobby for 18 years. My favorite setup out of maybe a dozen I’ve owned is the Apex Teton, an OTL tube amp built by Pete Millett, feeding the HD800. With the “right tubes”, that combo is both highly detailed and really emotionally involving - better than even the best Stax setups I’ve heard. In comparison, solid state is capable of providing jaw-dropping detail but a less involving listening experience.

But not all tube amps sound that good. They also are more prone to breaking down because they run hot. You also can go down an expensive rabbit hole of tube rolling (buying expensive tubes and seeing how they affect the sound signature of your setup.) And I personally feel that OTL amps as a general rule sound better than transformer-coupled tube amps, and OTL amps limit your headphone options. Solid state amps in comparison are trouble-free.

Unless you have a sizable budget, I’d stick with solid state and remember that the biggest determinant of sound quality is the pair of headphones you own, not your amp.

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GarlicBiscuits OP t1_j9mv3ed wrote

Well put, I respect your dedication and ability to experiment overall. If I go solid state, I'll make sure to find a combo that has plenty of options to satisfy all the cable types I'd amass over the future. I imagine by the time I'm closer to done, I'll be needing 4-pin XLR, 4.4mm balanced, and 6.35mm ports (with adapter from 3.5mm), so the amp part of that combo having all of those would be greatly convenient in the long run.

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