Interesting quote... let's argue...

[Ge_Whiz]

But in general "Ge and Si sounds" are quite different since our ears are very sensitive to subtle differences in form and dinamics of a sound.

True, but not the issue. The question here is whether a silicon BJT-based circuit can be made to sound like a germanium one. TAD (and I) are claiming that it can.

[ErikMiller]

I make two fuzzboxes using the same circuit, the difference being in one I use BC109C's and in the other AC187-01's. I tune the resistor values to match the transistors, but that's all.

They sound quite different from each other. The tonal balance and the texture of the distortion is different.

Do I think it's possible to make a great-sounding FF circuit using silicon? Obviously, yes, just such a circuit helps pay the mortgage. Do I think it's possible to make a FF using silicon that sounds like one that uses germanium?

Nope. They are two different critters.

[DDD]

It seems that it's time to say: "Si FF sounds differently than Ge FF. Not worse, but differently."
The argue "Ge vs Si" is never-ending story...

[yeeshkul]

just compared the RangeKing with my Rangemaster clone. RangeKing sounds great however you can hear the silicon the same way as when you compare Ge FF with "weak gain"  Si Fuzz Face.

[Boogdish]

Is there a link to the rest of the review somewhere online?

"TAD's designers had no qualms about informing me that they have foregone the much-vaunted germanium transistor for a silicon-based circuit, simply because it was more reliable and less noisy, and could easily be made to sound as creamy and rich as the original anyway."

These guys used the word "could" in there.  "The silicon could easily be made to sound creamy and rich."  They aren't actually saying that they did make it sound creamy and rich, just that they had the opportunity to. 

[petemoore]

  Yes.

[owenjames]

I think it really just depends on the circuit, a fuzz face circuit is going to be really susceptible to changes in the Hfe and junction capacitances etc. because it is quite a strange circuit in general. A traditional bootstraped common emmiter amplifier should theoretically sound the same with silicones and germs, but if you push the current gain the germs will distort quicker, so i would say its much more down to circuit than transistors, and silicons are less variable and less affected by temp etc, so I'd say if TAD are desiging their circuits properly then they should sound just as good and not as variable, i.e. better.