Gear & technology
Solid-state
Also called transistor amplifier, SS
Solid-state means an amplifier or other circuit built with transistors and integrated circuits rather than vacuum tubes. Nearly all modern audio electronics are solid-state; the term mostly comes up in contrast to tube designs.
Solid-state amplifiers deliver more power for less money, run cooler, need no maintenance and measure far cleaner than tube amplifiers, with THD often below 0.01 percent and, in the best designs, below 0.001 percent. Their Output impedance is near zero, so they control speakers and headphones tightly.
The criticism, mostly from the 1970s, was that early transistor amps sounded harsh. Modern designs do not: a well-made solid-state amp measures as transparent, and in blind tests is usually hard to tell from another competent one. Whether a tube amp is an improvement or a pleasant coloration is one of the hobby’s longest-running arguments.