Triode or Ultra-linear? Why?

Thanks all for your input,

A

Tablejockey,
Yes, the Baron can be run in all-pentode mode, but the sound it a bit harsh.  Don't know why.  I don't think anyone used them in all-pentode mode for long. 

Wolf, one rumor I heard was that Mesa got tired of dealing with the demands of audio dealers, who wanted frequent "upgrades" to be made available.  

@lloydc A good friend had an inside relationship with the folks at Mesa, and used a Baron for a while.  Mesa got out of the high-end audio business due to a lot of "advice" coming in regarding how to build an amplifier, especially in relation to a severe lack of $$$ coming the other way.  This isn't a hobby to them, and this market just didn't make business sense

I get that and I am amazed how many amps Mesa has made over the years, from Prune Music modded Princeton Reverbs, to every possible tube amp style and so many current models I can’t keep track (I had a Mesa Boogie combo amp in the early 80s that had a 15" Altec in it…weighed a ton)…the Baron was a surprise and at the time I wondered what the hell they were thinking with such a complicated stereo amp, but it was cool anyway.