Mrtennis is right in his bottom line, and I can add to it: even if you add EQ to make a tube amp and solid state amp 'sound the same' isn't there a tacit admission there that they don't? Huh? I'm sorry, but in this case Mr. Clark has fooled himself silly.
Different amps in fact sound different. Here are the areas to look in which you will find immediately apparent, very audible differences: the differences between tube and transistor, within one camp of expertise, the difference between a class A amplifier and one that is not, and finally the difference between a zero feedback amplifier and one that uses feedback.
Areas to be sensitive to as you audition these amps: high frequency content; the sense of 'brightness' (even though all the amps might have the same bandwidth), differences in soundstage presentation (currently not a measurable quantity), presentation of the attack of the various instruments, smoothness as opposed to harshness, that sort of thing.
I could forecast some of the results but that might take the fun out of it for you :)
Soundlab or Magnaplanar 20.1- either is fine.
Different amps in fact sound different. Here are the areas to look in which you will find immediately apparent, very audible differences: the differences between tube and transistor, within one camp of expertise, the difference between a class A amplifier and one that is not, and finally the difference between a zero feedback amplifier and one that uses feedback.
Areas to be sensitive to as you audition these amps: high frequency content; the sense of 'brightness' (even though all the amps might have the same bandwidth), differences in soundstage presentation (currently not a measurable quantity), presentation of the attack of the various instruments, smoothness as opposed to harshness, that sort of thing.
I could forecast some of the results but that might take the fun out of it for you :)
Soundlab or Magnaplanar 20.1- either is fine.