How big of a difference do amps make?

Hi Ngjockey,
No peer pressure here,just people expressing personal experiences. Liz`s statement about 'tube coloration'
is fine, just recognize that solid state has its own colorations also.
In fact name any audio component thay lacks coloration, there is`nt one.
Regards,

F1a. . . as Charles1dad said, the Sophia Royal Princess 300b are excellent; and the people from Sophia Electric are great to deal with. . . they are local to DC where I live. I was very happy with the way that they sounded and agreed with the Positive-Feedback review by Jeff Day. However. . . the Takatsuki are simply better in every way. They are also 50% more expensive (even when sourced directly from Japan); and I doubt that you will find them discounted or used. And there are now several reviews that accurately describe their sound - HiFidelity of Poland (reprinted in 6Moons), Dagogo, and parttimeaudiophile. Both tubes are beautifully packaged. Both sound great. The Takastukis are simply better.

Thanks Charles & Gsm, the Polish review particularly piqued my interest... what a rave! Love to try 'em...

When people mention coloration...what exactly are we talking about? A certain tone or house sound of component?