Wow, interesting attack Macrojack, you know attack my friends just because I don't think that tube rolling is an automatic advantage of owning tube gear and I point out that many prefer to buy a well designed system and just enjoy the music.
Nowhere do I attack tube rolling and its proponents.
As for Jeff Rowland, what does it matter where he started??? I see a snear in your words that would belittle a proud, honest man that once made a living doing mods and is now a highly respected designer with a world wide following. Are you jealous, or what? Attacking my friends is like a personal attack and probably doesn't fit within A'gon rules, IMHO.
Rod Tomson is surely a friend. I was a musician and audiophile for decades before I met Rod. We hit it off for many reasons, not the least of which is our compatable views of music (he's a musician also) and what two-channel audio can do.
You presuppose that I'm anti-tubes when you say if I tried them then I'd be a loud proponent. That is far from the truth. My first integrated amplifier was a used Scott 20 watter that I bought when I was 18. one of my favorite jazz guitar amps is an Alessandro Italian Greyhound, with all the bells and whistles. My headphone amp is a single-end, Class-A, Woo Audio WA6 with a Holland GZ34 rectifier tube. (Not provided by Jack Wu, but recommended by him, so yes I do "roll", but that doesn't mean that I think it's an "advantage"0. Until recently my phono pre-amp was a nice little tube unit. So you see, I'm not anti-tubes, yet despite my use of tubes I'm not singing their praises as the only viable option.
So back to my advice for the OP, listen and follow your ears, take your time and don't get pressured into ANYTHING including being belittled into thinking you MUST get tubes to qualify as an audiophile. Tubes are one of two or three possible amplifier camps. Trust your ears. Oh, don't be afraid of tubes if that's where your ears take you.
Dave
Nowhere do I attack tube rolling and its proponents.
As for Jeff Rowland, what does it matter where he started??? I see a snear in your words that would belittle a proud, honest man that once made a living doing mods and is now a highly respected designer with a world wide following. Are you jealous, or what? Attacking my friends is like a personal attack and probably doesn't fit within A'gon rules, IMHO.
Rod Tomson is surely a friend. I was a musician and audiophile for decades before I met Rod. We hit it off for many reasons, not the least of which is our compatable views of music (he's a musician also) and what two-channel audio can do.
You presuppose that I'm anti-tubes when you say if I tried them then I'd be a loud proponent. That is far from the truth. My first integrated amplifier was a used Scott 20 watter that I bought when I was 18. one of my favorite jazz guitar amps is an Alessandro Italian Greyhound, with all the bells and whistles. My headphone amp is a single-end, Class-A, Woo Audio WA6 with a Holland GZ34 rectifier tube. (Not provided by Jack Wu, but recommended by him, so yes I do "roll", but that doesn't mean that I think it's an "advantage"0. Until recently my phono pre-amp was a nice little tube unit. So you see, I'm not anti-tubes, yet despite my use of tubes I'm not singing their praises as the only viable option.
So back to my advice for the OP, listen and follow your ears, take your time and don't get pressured into ANYTHING including being belittled into thinking you MUST get tubes to qualify as an audiophile. Tubes are one of two or three possible amplifier camps. Trust your ears. Oh, don't be afraid of tubes if that's where your ears take you.
Dave