New H20 Signature S250

Lloydf, my experience in using both a SS preamp and tube preamp with SS amps, a tube amp and digital switching amps is that the tube preamp adds a touch of three dimensionality and "life" to the presentation of SS and digital switching amps that is otherwise lacking. This is not an overwhelming change, but a change that can be heard, nonetheless.

Lloyd, You found the one seemingly ambiguous line in the whole review. The
writing went like this,

"Tubes create a certain texture which these amps don't. Tubes can be
very transparent but to my ears, it's a transparency modified in different
frequency bands and modulated by certain layering and soundstaging effects.
The latter are highly addictive ( consider me a major addict). But they are
effects. They simply do not ever arise in real life."

The H2O will not add any effects, good or bad, to the recording. It just excels
on digging out the deepest nuances of the recording. I find that much more
addicting.

I believe a little bit of tubes is a good thing. My DAC has tubes. My preamp is
a class A solid state.

LLoydf, my comments above regarding my impression of the H20 signature were based on using an Audio Research Reference II tubed preamp.

I still think/suspect I just didn't have the right cables and that what made my interaction with the H2O not work for me at this time. I think it's a great amp anyway. Now that has to be some sort of odd statement. My tubes, in comparison, aren't as exciting.

Is anyone using these with electrostatic/Soundlab,Martin Logans,etc speakers? I must admit that I am being intriqued by all the buzz about these amps.I presently own a ARC-D150 power and I am on the fence big time.

Regards
Chuckie