Nobody is going to be able to assure you that you will like the Plinius/VA combination. There are just too many variables. Plinius is a well-resepected and reliable product and I would suspect that if you don't like the way your system sounds with it, the fault lies not with the amplifier. Many people here do not have the luxury of being able to demo prior to purchase. This is either because of location, or they just prefer to buy used and would not dishonestly demo a product at a dealer knowing they were not going to buy. So you are in the same position as many others. You try to weed out products that are known dogs and hope for the best. As I said before, if you are looking for a solid state amp, there is no reason not to like the Plinius. Best of luck in assembling your system.