The ups and downs of tube vs. SS...

I'm wondering this too. I've had tube preamplifiers but never just a buffer. Does having no gain give the sound of tubes?

There is a good interview by New Record Day of Dan Wright of Modwright. NRD asks, "Tubes or solid state?" Dan answers something to the effect of, he’d prefer not to choose so that he could run a combination. His preference is tubes for the preamp and source gear, and quality solid state for the amplification of that tube signal in the cleanest way possible. Makes sense. I am on day three or so of my new-to-me Modwright KWA-150 SE, which replaced a Rogue Stereo 100, and the overall effect is at least as smooth as the Rogue - maybe smoother. "As long as there are tubes SOMEWHERE in the chain," Dan responded. "But if you make me choose one or the other, I would choose tubes." I run a tubed phono pre (Rogue Ares) and a Modwright (tubed) LS100 Pre, and the combination with the TOTL KWA-150SE is fantastic.

Ralph - really good points and the human hearing system is also hyper sensitive to time and phase...so getting part right only gets you so far IMO
tube dac, tube preamp, hybrid high pass amp with just 5 parts in the signal path, time and phase accurate speakers ...ah...

but your preamp is on my list to listen to

xrayz
sometimes..the FET front end tube buffer out SP-17 is I believe a good example of the sum being better than the bits ..... i own one so count me as biased tho..
a REF 5se it is not, but for the $$$ quite competent...

btw this has been a very civil thread with a lot of hard won knowlege being shared - I for one see this as the best Audigon offers
thank you all !