Silky and soft highs: product of coloration?

This is probably the toughest thing to get right in a system-- silky treble without loss of detail, and treble bite (on brass & strings) without aggressiveness. Source, preamp, amp, speakers all make or break. I think one giveaway that it's not right is if a silky, pretty treble is accompanied by weak dynamics lower in the frequency range. In my tube system at least, I've found that steps taken to improve control & dynamics usually extend and refine treble. Since the amp has the key roll in dictating system dynamics, perhaps this is where your friend is coming from with his observation about its importance.

Still think the amp is the most important component in the system. The type of speakers you own plus personal tastes will have a big influence on the type of amplification you may choose.

Any one of us could build a system around a good sounding amp via trial & error with interconnects/cabling, trying different preamps, tayloring the sound to the desired outcome. Soft highs could be a by-product of coloration which sounds desirable to some but not considered accurate.

I'm currently using a McCormack 0.5 Revision A and know by past experience with the stock amp the Revision A in itself has refined this amp by removing the grit and grain in the upper registers but still preserving its dynamics & increasing transparency, midrange is uncanny. It does need to be fed other quality components to fully realize its potential as so with other high end amps. I will have to say that this amp is very accurate and extended no way soft or colored but still sweet and detailed.

In conclusion & giving a choice I will opt for silky highs but not soft highs but maybe not prefering either.

Agree with Sogood...most people...including myself...spend way too much time fiddling with amps...but hey...its nuerotic fun!...

Phasecorrect, there you go sir, there is nothing wrong with fiddling with amps, its all a progression of a nuerotic hobby just as you mentioned. Keep listening to those tunes!

The reason why people are thinking that you shouldn't spend that much money on power amplifiers is: they have never heard how world's best power amplifiers sound! 90% of the amplifiers sound the same, that's why it will never become obvious with 90% of all audiophiles that the power amplifier is in fact a major determinant for the final sound quality. In this regards I would like to address to some of the world's best amplifiers, like FM Acoustics, Soulution, Boulder, Rey Audio, DartZeel(?), LAMM, Cello Performance, Audio Research REF600, etc.

Chris