Hi-fi nostalgia is on the rise. Vinyl, despite its undeniable lack of convenience compared to streaming services, is becoming more popular every day — audiophiles love the tactile experience and warm sound. Turntables aren’t the only way to experience the audio tech of yesteryear, however — vacuum tube amplifiers add just a bit of pleasing distortion to the sound. The Solis SO-8000 is a compact speaker amplifier with a tube preamp section and, in addition to two analog inputs, also allows streaming over Bluetooth.
In the box you’ll find everything you need for a bookshelf system — a set of dual-driver rear-ported 4ohm speakers, speaker cables, RCA cables, a brush for cleaning dust around the tubes, and a pair of gloves for handling the tubes. The SO-8000’s amplifier has a distinctively un-modern look, with its two 12AX7 tubes and transformer tube exposed. In front of the preamp tubes is one thing that wasn’t featured in 1970s amplifiers — a single 6E2 tube that features a VU meter that responds to bass frequencies. All the components are clad in a gooey gloss-black finish.
The SO-8000’s amplifier is rated at 17 watts of power RMS.
On paper, the amp may seem underpowered, but it’s plenty for a near-field setup, especially its bundled speakers. Pairing lossy Bluetooth streaming (SBC, aptX) with a tube amp is an unusual choice, but it works as it should. We were not terribly impressed by the SO-8000’s bundled speakers, however. These feature a familiar 5-inch woofer and 1.25-inch tweeter, but their bass extension is lacking even compared to speakers of similar size; out of the box, they sounded bright and at times, nasal.
