Comments on Profile Post by Aklegal

For purposes of abstaining from nervosa, you're making an excellent choice. Tubes suck (for everything other than sound and aesthetics).

At this point, which is fairly early in my headamp journey, I’m kind of the opposite- end up always preferring tubes so far, even if it’s just hybrid. But haven’t been into the big $$$$ SS stuff like DSHA.

I <3 my 3F and I <3 not worrying about tubes

I envy people who are happy without tubes. I haven't heard a single SS amp that does it for me (and believe me I've tried a lot, including the DSHA-3F and Black Widow).

I have never heard a SS amp that has the detail, sense of space, realism, dynamics both micro and macro, 3 dimensionally, plankton, etc of a tube amp. Solid state just can't do it. And I've heard a lot of SS amps. I think it might be a matter of finding the tube amp for you rather than not liking tubes.

There are more solid state sounding tube amps than those 2 you mentioned. Those are both very "tubey", lush sounding amps with a lot of bloom.

I'm hoping to beg ignorance so I don't go down a rabbit hole I can't afford to go down

@rhythmdevils I don't doubt anything you have said. Both the WA6SE and the Zen Taboo would often sound like magic but also sometimes weirdly pedestrian - so a lack of consistency. That and my never-ending tube nervosa pushes me toward SS. I don't think I will ever cross into the realm of $4k+ tube amps. I didn't realize you were looking for a WA6SE trade - I would have figured something out for you.

Try a SW51+ to hear tubes with a more SS feel to them.

Only SS amp I've heard before that I was actually wowed by and not just "this is good" was $50k+ vs several tube amps over $1k have wowed me before.