I agree with Jax, if your looking for something like a tube sound the KWA 150 is the ticket. It is a best of both worlds amp. However that may be out of his price range. Also, funny Jax should mention the V5XE from Ayre . I just listened to this yesterday at a friends house. He was driving a pair of Vandy's. Of course it was hard for me to tell exactly how the Ayre contributes to the sound, but the system sounded great to me. It was my first time to ever hear anything from Ayre. I had heard the Vandy's at his house before driven by a BK Components receiver and I don't remember is sounding as nice as it does now. Also, I actually think the older Sims, specifically the W3/W5 don't exactly sound like tubes, but they are warm and lush and will get him close. He should be able to find a W3 used in his price range. I really like the W3, and I don't think PDspecl can go wrong with this either. I can't stand dry, cold sounding amps, but at the same time I don't like the hassle of tubes so it can be tricky finding a solid state solution. The other components Of course contribute to the sound as well so it helps to have a tube pre. Sometimes it just comes down to system/room synergy.
