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Tubes vs Solid State

I have have been listening to music all my life but have only recently started experimenting with different amplifier and/or speakers/component combinations. I have recently moved from Parasound JC 1's to Classe Cam 400 monoblocks which I have both loved (maybe the prior a bit more) and are contemplating another move. I have been very intrigued by tube monoblocks and have the opportunity now to move to ARC ref 600's. I can also get Mark Levinson 33's for about the same cost. I am just uncertain about the Ref 600's as I am worried that I might be disappointed in the tube sound.

Can someone with more experience perhaps help me out here ? I am using the amps as part of a home-theatre setup driving 802 d's and other 800 diamond fronts and rears. I would really appreciate some good advice here.
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bo1972's avatar
bo1972
2,789 posts
 
In the 15 years I am in this business I never heard a good demo of ML gear. I listen a lot of them. With my knowledge it is difficult to understand why people bought it. You can get easily superior stuff for the same price. Wenn you spend a lot of money on this you want at least a deep and wide stage. And a very natural sound. Even these parts they cannot give. To be unnest often the people who have it did not know there was stuff which is that better. On the other hand you are still responsible for the stuff you bought.
csontos
1,311 posts
 
Early vintage Levinsons are probably better. Especially when brought up to date.
bo1972's avatar
bo1972
2,789 posts
 
They are more musical, but this is only sound. The absolute sound in my world is a level which stands closer to the real thing. As it is in real. I learned at a friends concert room how direct and small in proportion voices and even instruments are in real. I thought they would be a lot bigger. I call this intimate sound. He ad a room for about 60 people. I was pulled like a magnet to the music. I have done a lot of research to get this doen by an audio system. I am a perfectionist and always looking for the best. Pass labs give a much wider and deeper stage compared to Mark Lenvinson. Even acoustic recordings you hear the difference of different acoustic guitars much easier compared to ML amps. The latest amps have a more musical sound of ML. But compared to Pass Labs you miss still the essential parts for the absolute sound. I understand that most people did not have possibilities like me to do hundreds of tests to understand it. But it is not so difficult to hear the difference. These days I learn people the difference between 2 and 3-dimensional sound. They all understand it very fast. Because I have a system what is easily to convince.
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minorl
1,016 posts
 
I have to vary slightly from the others. The ML 23.5 and 20.6 are still to this day, two of the very best amps I have heard. I have heard others from Mark Levinson after the company was sold and I wasn't greatly impressed. Howevedr, the two mentioned? Well...wonderful.

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