Cary SLP 03

KClone, the sound isn't harsh, but on some recordings the highs get a little bright. A tube pre should take care of that, in my estimation.

No, I don't live in Iowa. Hawk is an old nickname I picked up in my football playing days. :)

You can't have it all guys. If you want tubes to give a warmer, lush, dimensional sound there will be a price to pay in terms of dynamics.

Upon further thought, Kiwi is right. I guess I try and get the best of both worlds with a tubbed pre and solid state amp. Of course there is a lot of variables in this hobby so nothing is really absolute.

Hawk28, good know you are not a hawkeye fan from Iowa. I'm a Cyclone fan!! Go State! :)

As far as harsh recordings, yes tubes can help, but so can speakers and cables ect... I have a lot of pop and rock and yes a lot of them can be bright or harsh. My Fritz Carbon 7s tame the harshness for the most part.

The SS/tube combo is what I seek for the same reasons as you, Kclone. Get the strengths from both types of amplication.

I would prefer to get the tube pre in my system before I start messing around with switching cables in and out.

Cyclone fan, huh? You guys had a big win against Okla State last season and caused a bit of a ruckus in the BCS standings! Good for you!

How does the SLP 98 and 98F1 fit into this discussion? How does it compare to the 03 and 05?