I think Shakey's comments are entirely accurate. Most GMA models are smaller speakers that put out less bass than a typical three-way floorstander. But by no means should they be considered "lean" in the manner of the legions of speakers fitted with metal-dome tweeters and such. They are extremely revealing, so one could conclude they are cold, analytical, or dry if that's the sound of the amp/source upstream. But that would be a mistake - GMAs do not introduce anything cold, dry, or analytical themselves. Unlike a lot of lesser speakers, they don't need to be "balanced out" by overly warm components upstream - they just need to be fed by really good components. Personally, I do think they do best with at least one tube somewhere in the system. But it should be said that these speakers actually err on the side of smoothness, especially in the higher frequencies, and if you hear anything different it's because they're simply revealing an issue in the system upstream. That, at least, has been my personal experience.
