Depends on the use. For low distortion, tubes fare better because their operating point is more linear than any single transistor. Ge doesn't make a huge differ

Depends on the use. For low distortion, tubes fare better because their operating point is more linear than any single transistor. Ge doesn't make a huge difference here iirc. Outside their operating point is another story. As said elsewhere, Ge has a smaller and less sharp drop than Si, which is worlds different for all sorts of clipping distortion applications. The classic example is the Fuzz Face, where the gentler clip made for a warmer sound. Think early Hendrix versus late Hendrix. But the transistors were so inconsistent and the circuit so sensitive to the gain that only one in fifty would sound good!