Is the Phile sound an Aquired taste.

I agree that most SET's lack the sparkling highs and deep full bass. And it seems that those extentions are something very important to you.
I have an SET that does it all. The rich, beautiful midrange and the powerful bass and sparkling highs.
The Almarro A318B amp is one you must try before placing all SET's into the catagory of no dynamics.
Check out the reviews and give one a try. It'll change your mind about SET's.

Hi Mechans,
An interesting question but hard to answer, what`s the SET sound? I`m drawn to the intrinsic sound/character of the directly heated triode(DHT) but hav`nt heard all of them.I acknowledge that within the same tube type i.e. 300b,45,845 etc. thete`s much variation in the ultimate sound given the differenent circuit choices,transformer choosen, power supply quality, which driver tube,wiring...At the end of the day most people persue the sound they find most realistic is my asumption. For me it`s fairly simple, I attend live jazz venues on a regular basis over the past 23 years. I try to select components that come as close to that jazz club sound as I can get. In my case 300b SET does the trick Coincident Frankenstein. I`m sure there`s other 300b SET amps I`d like less and some as much,or find equal happiness with a different tube type altogether. But for now this has gotten me closer to what I`m seeking more so than any other amp I`ve heard so far.

agree with Zman

It wasn't an acquired taste thing for me. I loved it as soon as I heard it.

I agree with Sebrof, instant love.

Only if you don't want the most beautiful vocals.

Phile this! I just love music and the better it sound the more I want to listen. Audiophiles are more into the equipment than the music!

Yes there is an audiophile sonic and yes most people do not posses it. It takes years of listening and much dissatisfaction with equipment to achieve what I like to call the highest level of listening pleasure. Not many of us out there who attain that level. I myself have spent many hours in therapy trying to go beyond just enjoying music and transcending all that encompasses in search of more detail not to mention more bass.

Be patient and if the audiophile gods are kind to you and when you have exhausted your loan on your second mortgage you to may achieve the great heights of "audiophiledom"

All the best

I think the taste is a natural occurance within us. For some it's cars, golf, etc., but for us music. The "phile" in us grows as we develop a deeper appreciation for the quality in which we pursue the passion.

It is all dependent on the interaction between your speakers and your amp. If your speaker is sensitive enough these amplifier trade offs are less important.

Each amplifier type has its own sound, but much of this is dictated by the speaker it is attached to.

So I would say the answer is no. You just need the right gear to make it work properly.

Mechans, I am in the same camp you are. Tried SET (but not any that cost as much as a car), loved the midrange, missed the highs and lows. But you know... I may try them again someday.

I kind of expected there would be strong polarity of opinion. I have listened to several DHT I came to like the 845 for it's inherently richer tone once again but liked 2 of them even more per channel in PP. A close second would be the 211 in single ended triode.
Thanks for your responses.
I know I am "supposed" to prefer the purity of a SET. In my case it it is not money is not the issue, because the SETs I speak of are in my friends systems that I have spent time with. I do want to counter one common response that Philes are more into the equipment than the music.
Yes that may well be true. If you really just like music spend your time on a music appreciation site that does not concern itself with playback and use the most affordable equipment you can. I really think liking equipment is not a sin. No more than liking cars instead of traveling etc.

Mechans,
I may not quite understand your post,"supposed" to prefer the SET purity. The degree of sound quality and purity ranges a lot within the SET amplifiers, just as for PP tube or SS amps(I sure would`nt say they all sound simillar either).The best sound in home systems I`ve heard were with SET amps,but there are some SET amps that I realize will sound rather less than good. Rolled off extremes is a stereotype that can easily be avoided with proper speaker matching(as is true for any amp type). When done right the purity and realism is remarkable.