Rrog; Oh I'm there all right. I don't have a tube vs. solid state bias. I have listened to many amps over the years and built up my system. I am not in the amp of the month club and don't change because some "new and better" amp came around. Because most times, the new stuff really isn't "better". Don't get me wrong. There is some great equipment out there. But, I will not change equipment just because something reportedly new and better came along. Most times manufacturers will cancel a piece of equipment and come out with something new, not because it really is better, but because equipment reviewers and magazines won't review older equipment, even if they are still being produced. And for some audiophiles, if the equipment isn't reviewed recently, they won't buy it. However, for tube amps and pre-amps, I recommend cleaning the connectors, changing the tubes with new tubes and rebiasing and then listening again before considering changing components. for example. I wanted to investigate a new pre-amp that was remote controlled (getting lazy) that was at or better than my Audio Research SP11. The SP11 is probably one of the better pre-amps around, even now. So, what I did was purchase new tubes and burned them in and listened. Wow! was it great. Then I went to my favorite stereo store and borrowed an AR SP 17 and SP 16 to listen to, along with a Krell pre-amp. They weren't close to the SP 11 in sound quality, and if I sold my SP11 it would basically pay for any one of them. So, finally, I listened to a demo model REF 3 pre-amp. Took it home for two weeks (yes, they let me). and it was better, not much better, but better than my SP11. I didn't think that the cost of the REF3 was low enough to justify purchasing it over the sound of my SP11, but I weighed it for days and finally negotiated a very good price for it, sold my SP11 for a very competitive price and I am good. I don't do that often. I know what music is suppose to sound like. I played classical violin, oboe, bassoon, etc. I know what live music sounds like also. So, my system is very close. Such that to upgrade is not cost justified for the incremental increase in sound quality. So, Yes, I'm there. It can always get better, no question. But I don't feel that anything is really missing or lacking in the music reproduction.
enjoy
