Zd542 - So far I'm really impressed with the tube amplifier. Before tonight I would have said that I was blown away on all fronts, but so far tonight my musical selections have not been quite a compelling compared to what I'm used to.
Overall, I definitely understand a lot more about what the tube sound is compared to solid state and would easily be in agreement that tube amplifiers have an appeal and result in less listener fatigue.
On the majority of what I've listened to so far I really think that the tube amplifier is a significant improvement. I wasn't expecting to be impressed with my SACD of Saint-Saens Symphony No.3 that I normally listen to surround sound with a subwoofer. The recording is extremely powerful and I think at the volumes that I prefer it is just getting way too far into the tube sound. You can always have too much of a good thing and no one amplifier is going to be perfect for everything.
I'm currently listening to David Garrett Paganini Caprices, specifically No.24 and found it not quite right in ultralinear mode (where I've done the majority of my listening) and once I switched it into triode mode it sounds a lot better, less tube.
It's interesting how my bias I have on certain recording in that I want to hear it a certain way and the difference between the two amplifiers is almost like having a completely new CD.
Sometimes when I listen to my receiver at louder volumes I feel like I did exactly that. I get the feeling that it would be much more difficult to have the same feeling. Balalaika Favorites and Yo-Yo Ma Goat Rodeo Sessions are two CDs that are very detailed, fast, and busy and can quickly cross over into the too much category. I love both of them, but they can wear on you and it was almost easy listening in comparison with the tube amp.
Happy camper here. Tonight, I'll be hooking the receiver back to the speakers since my wife and kids will be home during the day the rest of the week. It'll be interesting to see what I think going back...