MC5200 or a MC275 with preamp

Dear Bobandcathi: IMHO real music is everithing you want but warm. If this kind of colorations/distortions is what you like its fine but that is not a real music home reproduction.

Music is accurate and tubes are not.

Regards and enjoy the music,
R.

I like that warm tube sound. I have tried a number of Amps over the past 40 years and I personally find tubes more pleasing. Don't get me wrong I do like the snap and speed of SS which is why I am running a SS amp on the bass speaker and Tubes on the mids and highs. I'm also running a tube preamp. Everyone has their own liking this is just mine.

if you can find a way to listen to the MC275, i would do that. years ago i was auditioning audio research amps - the dealer played equivalent AR SS then AR VT100 amp, and the VT 100 tube amp killed it. was night and day! same speakers, source, cables. - tube amp sound was so much more real, in the room presence. in comparison, the SS $3000.00 was almost unlistenable. the MC275 is a freak of nature! built like a tank/last forever/sound that rivals both mega watt tubes and single end triodes at the same time. even more control than some ss amps. however, many audiophiles value an analytical detailed presentation… thats ok. but if you gonna spend that cash… be sure would not prefer the tubes. personally, once i had a taste of tubes, i could never imagine seeking out a SS amp again.