I often notice that people who have open reel decks and/or tube equipment are nicest

This is ridiculous as, clearly, I'm a tube freak and I'm not nice at all.

wolf, get a RTR deck, it will make you nicer.

I have tubes, no R2R, but I lust for one.  Where does that leave me?  Decent guy, but a little crusty around the edges?

Guys with tubes usually learn to roll with it.  

Well, I’m rarely a proponent of sweeping generalities, but this one has me thinking of all the times I’ve been smacked down online by some snot-nosed (or low-T even) audiophool, audiofanatic, audiofascist here and there.

My usual learned suspicion (speaking of sweeping generalities) is those who go so such extremes to defend so little have so little to defend.

Not talking Goldwater-era sensibilities here (extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice), just that the farther over the edge someone is willing to drag a specious, or worse, buzzword and high-tech “auty” argument, the less likely it is to have much value - for me, that is.

YMMV.

But thanks for bringing it up.