Tube amps vs Cmoy

I think the question you want to ask is "tube amps vs. solid state amps".

There are really cheap tube amps as well, such as the Little Dot 2.
 
In general, tubed audio gear is going to be warmer and sweeter sounding than solid state. Stereotypical solid state is more dynamic, more extended, and has better bass control.

Solid state equipment will almost always have better measured specifications (distortion, frequency response, etc.), but measurements often have little to do with actual sound quality. Transistors tend to produce odd order harmonics (3rd, 5th, etc.) which can be annoying even in very small amounts. Tubes, on the other hand, primarily produce even order harmonics, which are pleasing to the ear even in relatively large amounts. Because of this, a tube amp with 1% distortion can sound just as clean as a solid state amp that measures .1%.

Transistors are more tolerant of difficult loads than tubes are, in most cases. Very few speakers are a purely resistive load. Just because a speaker says it's 8 ohms doesn't mean it's 8 ohms at all frequencies. A speaker that presents difficult load may drop to below 2 ohms in the bass, and rise to much higher than 8 ohms at other frequencies. Tube amplifiers tend not to handle widely varying impedances well. They're usually happiest with speakers that are 8 ohms or higher, and a fairly consistent load. I'm sure things are similar with headphones, but I don't know details.

To decide between tube and solid state, you need to take a lot of things into consideration. The most important is your own personal taste. If you prefer a warm, smooth, liquid sound, and might not be as picky about detail and bass slam, look at tubes first. If you're the opposite, look into transistors. In general, and especially at lower price points, solid state will be more on the accurate side of things, and tubes will be more "musical" (a vague audiophile term that basically means focused more on being enjoyable to listen to, even if it means being less accurate to the source). Of course, there are always exceptions.

Second, look at your equipment. What are your speakers like? If they're a fairly easy load, tubes are more likely to work well, but I've heard tube amps sound beautiful on extremely difficult loads. It's just less common. What does your equipment sound like? If your system is very warm and lush sounding, maybe a tube amp would put it over the top and make it muddy. If your system is very detailed, maybe a typical solid state amp would put it over the top and make it sound analytical. As with many things, balance and synergy are the keys to success.

Finally, what's your musical taste? If you listen to music that's really dependant on deep bass, maybe tubes aren't for you. Acoustic music usually benefits quite a bit from tubes, because of the added richness and fullness.

As with everything, you'll be able to find an exception to anything I've written. There are harsh, nasty sounding tube amps, and there are warm, rich, lush solid state amps. You might like listening to 50 Cent on an all tube setup, and you might like Miles Davis on solid state. The important thing is to actually listen to things and pick out what sounds good to you.
 
I am hardly an expert on tubes vs solid state but I own a Gilmore Lite, which is a good solid state amp, and a Little Dot II+, which is a chinese made Tube amp just released at the beginning of July.

They sound more alike than different. As common convention goes, the Little Dot II+ is not quite as bright, or as "sharp" as the Gilmore Lite. It is more laid back, the bass is smoother on the LDII+ but less powerful. The Gilmore Lite has a better sense of "space" in the music but the LDII+ has more "flavor"

Basically I recommend the Little Dot II+, great for the price, the Gilmore Lite has been sitting since I got it, but I would be more than happy with either.
 
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