Affordable SS that sound like Tubes

@oddiofyl 

Ever try the QS AT7?

Never tried the QS preamp,   my last preamp was a CJ Classic 2SE which was an excellent sounding preamp.  Before that a McCormack RLD 1 , a McIntosh C15 before that.  Looking back after using that Zesto for about 10 months they were all slight improvements over each prior but nothing like the Zesto.  In comparing the CJ to the Zesto it was not even close.   It was as if all previous preamps were a bottleneck.  

After fifty years of pursuing the high end… the first forty with solid state amps.. I will not go back to solid state. I found that tube amps can be incredibly reliable and more importantly musical.

When I was working I put about 600 hours a year on my system. That would require retubing about every five years.

I now listen a lot more and have replaced four tubes in the last three years, one DOA and three at normal maintenance time.

This is not even in the ball Park to best of Anything ,but maybe on a budget. In its day 30 years ago I agree was very good ,but cannot match todays far superior capacitors , volume attenuators resistors by todays standards vs say a pass labs ,Ayre, Luxman it cannot compete on any level. 
if you like old gear fine , just look at the volume pot ,a scratch pot alps type volume 

which is a noise maker totally robs low level detail and resolution .having owned a Audio store for a decade , and knowing parts quality very well and modding over 20 years some companies still use these $20 pieces of rubbish , a resistor stepped attenuator , or relay is far lower noise and is not a liability , just for starters ,before buying anything if you see a integrated amp,or preamp look for a round silver pot 

prima luna has a $5k preamp built well except went cheap at the output ,motorized Alps or Bourne volume pot ,inside2 plastic wipers with a metalized spray coating just to save a few bucks not very sound.

@audioman58 

Sorry… what are you responding to? I have no idea… I doubt I am alone.