I Feel Overwhelmed....Please Help

Blindjim, you probably think all my posts are about you. I can assure you that's not true and there's no hidden message in each one designed to put your panties in a wad.

In the OP's price range he's not likely to find tubes that equal the bass control and texture of similarly priced SS. If it were otherwise, why didn't you guys steer him to a slammin', bass pumpin' tube rig???

I don't have to defend my 5% remark, but, for instance, my Ultimate Ears Triple.fi 10 Pros were fantastic right out of the box and only improved a tiny bit with 100-hours of burn-in. My Analysis-Plus Solo Crystal Oval 8 speaker cables sucked out of the box and sounded incredible after 300-hours, yet my A-P ICs sounded good on day-one and hardly improved after that. Maybe you just don't hear as well as me, otherwise you'd have similar experiences. ;-)

Dave

No need to worry now. He will be just fine.......after 100hrs of brake-in time, some tube rolling etc. It is called system for a reason and right now it needs to mature and to be optimized to sound its best. Seems to me that he is pleased at this point and I am sure it will only get better from this point on.
Do not forget, it is he who will enjoy it .....not me or anyone else for that matter. As long as the music is played thru that system and foot is topping, it is all that counts.

We did not get where we are on the first date either.........so let the music flow and take credit for what you have brought to this thread and for helping out another audiophile in need.

Cheers
and enjoy the music

Mariusz

Dcstep, to get the right bass out of a tube amplifier the load plays a crucial role as it does with transistors. Klipsch are traditionally tube friendly; with the right tube amp there will not be a solid state amplifier that can rival it on that speaker.

My CAR loudspeakers are the same way- I have yet to see a solid state amp that is even close in the bass on them. OTOH, other speakers, like the Silverlines that Tvad has, are not tube friendly and there will be no tube amplifier that will play bass on them correctly. for more info see

http://www.atma-sphere.com/papers/paradigm_paper2.html

Dstep
I got your panties,sport!

You are as incorrigible and ignorant as you are prejudiced with your hero worship of Rowland gear.

You talk out of both sides of your mouth everytime it opens... nothing personal, though.

You can't say a negative thing and then try to cover it up in the next breath and make things out like no malice was ever intended. Even I can see through such a flimsy veil.

I’d say you were kidding, but that would take too much talent and you just ain’t got it.

At least home auditions for you take what, half an hour? Perhaps you could have the dealership or distributor play the thing over the phone for you and save everyone a trip charge?

Of course, I jest… so don’t get your panties all in a bunch about it.

The word ‘best’ that Grant said has a lot to do with things. IMO.

Best you ever heard? Best without exception? Best of all other likewise candidates? It bests those unlike ones?

I believe I did say previously, good bass is common with SS amps. It’s hard to get past that bit.

It can be had with tubes too… to the extent one could say, as I may have, “…..this is the best I’ve had”. Or simply feel what is happening is fine enough…. And there are lots of other factors in the mix too… Not just the amp type being used.

True also Gman, the VAC 160 music blocksamps simply do not work well in the bass department with at least one other speaker system too, the Andrea by Eggleston, according to another member who gave them a shot and related his thoughts about it to me. So again, system matching remains a big deal.
Was it the speakers fault? ….or was it the amp’s fault? …
And then can we say always in every case which is truly best or even best for a given application?

I really, really don’t think so. Not 100%, and not 100% of the time.

I can only relate that which I know, so my notice as to whatever level of good or bad I get is based on my tastes, and subjective impressions. I guess that’s all anyone can actually be saying when they espouse similar summations.

Like belly buttons, everyone’s got one.

As our new Jolita owner said about his take on the bass the plannar speakers he heard in San Antonio. He seemed to like that setups bass.

I’ll admit also once the DD 15 sub I got recently was mixed into the rig, I was more pleased. I will sure stand on any previous accounts prior to the subs arrival however, and still say I’m getting fine bass information and presence.

With the sub running it’s better.

Whatever it takes is whatever it takes, and we all remain judge and jury on what’s ‘best’… for us…. Not another.

That’s the most understated caveat around here which remains unsaid, but is soon understood to go without saying it.