Upgraded McCormack DNA-1 or Dennis Had Inspire SEP?

@jsbw 

Thing is, I just don’t know what the amp will sound like. I just dropped $1200 on it, and it sounds good, but not "the performer is in the room with me" good (because 25 year old amplifier). I was approaching that with my tube amp.

It your main priority is to achieve "performer is in the room with me" presentation I’d choose the SEP from the very talented Dennis Had. This recommendation assumes you have factored in your room size and desired/listening levels.

No amplifier does "everything " ideally so you have to know what you really want with clear and realistic acceptance. Given your apparent strong desire for convincing tactile presence, SEP without hesitation. The transistor DNA-1 may do certain other things better but not the reach out and touch flesh and blood tactile experience. My humble opinion.

Charles

Tube rolling shouldn't be much of an issue as there  would just be a single output  and driver tube per channel. Simplicity of design and signal path is a strength of SEP/SET amplifiers. 

Charles 

Just thought I would through this in if you keep the McCormack, it sounded to me very good with 6sn7 preamps. I ran the Rouge 99 magnum and Cary 98. The Rouge helped clean things up and Cary mad things more organic. I ran combination of Ken Rads with RCA’s. Good luck on your search.

cornwalls with a 150 wpc mccormack solid state amp... hmmmmmmmm

glad op can read and type, he might be deaf soon

I own the KT88 Fierebottle amp by Dennis Had. I have had a blast with it but I am a bit of an odd fish to say the least. My system sounds amazing with it but for me being able to try different tubes is a big draw. I love the tubes themselves and I enjoy hearing how they sound. Output tubes I've used so far include KT88, 7189A, KT66, El38, 6ar6, 807, and 6v6. I've used 6bx7, 6sn7, and 6sl7 in the input plus loctal versions of this and the 6v6. Lots of fun. But I do understand how that could be frustrating for some people. 

In my system (Topping D90, Supratek Cabernet, KT88 Firebottle, Phase Technology PC 3.5 speakers) I can get a variety of different sounds depending on what tubes I use. I'm currently using a pair of 7c5 tubes in the output and a tall 7n7 for the input. It's a. big, warmish sound. I can go very hi-fi if I put in the new KT66 with a Raytheon 6f8g. I love being able to change the sound of the system. It isn't a purist approach but a SEP will never appeal to the 100% accuracy crowd.