HELP: I need a solid state amp with a tube sound

You might want to add Music Fidelity to your list. These are a Brittish SS design that I heard driving much more expensive speakers (the Avalon Opus), and provided a very involving and musical presentation compared to Spectral SS amps that cost 4 times as much. My experience has been that musicality comes at the expense of resolution.

The Rowland Model 2, Concentra or Concentra II (the last two integrated) are good options. I have had numerous tube amps which were not missed once the Rowland came in here. I think that "tube" amps don't always sound like "tubes" in the historical stereotype they are associated. Todays SS and tube amps are so close to "neutral" either can go a bit warm or analytical. So the best thing to do is find an amp which mates well with your speakers. For tubes, I enjoyed the Music Reference MKII as well as anything. The SS options out there to listen to are the Classe amps which are very warm and grainless and others previously listed. The Pass are exceptionally smooth also. But my preference was listed first... Rowland. They are warm, detailed, fast, and just sound like music, combining all the best fetures of other amps. Jallen

I would highly recommend Conrad Johnson MF series or Pass Labs X series. But if you choose CJ I would look for a A model such as a MF2500A. The A upgrade is much more detailed and worth the extra money.

Chuck

Only tubes are tubes.

I own a Plinius SA100 MKIII and it is very nice but it still does not quite match Rogue 120 Magnums in the midrange and I agree with TWL,

there is no such beast