What amplifier and type of amplifier?

[ieatpizza]

Assuming I didn't care how much it costs, should I be going with a tube amplifier or a solid state amplifier, and why? I know there's a lot of articles on this, most of which are quite indecisive. The stickied guide suggests that tube amplifiers are less noisy, but are there any other pros/cons that may outweigh this?

Now, what specific amplifier would you recommend, and why?

 

[Dragos Manea]

Solid state has lots of noise on the signal, that is because of the impurities in the semiconductor, tube amplifiers has the best signal clarity because there is nothing that can cause noise in the signal. I will definitely recommend tube amplifiers.

 

[rexter]

What Dragos Manea said is a small portion of what technology offers. It is actually reverse. THD is less on Solid state than tube. However, tube produce warm sound quality on a very simple circuit that is hard to reproduce on solid state even on a complex circuit. Tube in general has better mid range sound and that's what makes sounds warmer and the vocals are more pronounce and clear.

If your a fan of heavy bass like hip-hop or anything with that category then Solid State is better suited for that. but if you like jazz or close to that genre then tube or valve amp is your friend. As for brand, any company that produce price to performance is what I recommend.

 

[americanaudiophile]

First off if you are talking about background noise tube amps are not nearly as quiet as solid state. This has nothing to do with clarity. But that aside the choice is based on a variety of things.
The speakers you will use are a major factor. If they require a lot of power a tube amp will become expensive, produce more heat & require more expensive re-tubing and maintenance. If the speaker manufacturer has not voiced their speakers for tube gear is also a factor. A speaker designed for solid state components will usually have comprised bass when used with a tube amplifier. All tube equipment doesn't sound the same either. Old school sound is different that modern tube sound which tends to be more neutral since better speakers don't need to be warmed up the same way as vintage speakers.
It is also a matter of taste. If you like very tight deep bass you would go solid state. If you like a warmer quality than tube.
You can mix a tube preamp, which will be more user friendly, and a solid state amp for grunt and control.
If you already have speakers than try to hear them through a variety of electronics. If not then concentrate on picking them first and match the electronics to them. That's what a good audio dealer will do for you.