Where are you today?

Switched from an SS amp to a tube amp almost a year ago to match my tube preamp - great synergy with new speakers and cabling, so I am completely happy.(translation: - it will be at least 4 months before I start monkeying with things again!)

Although tighter economy hasn't affected my purchases, it does seem to be affecting my sale of used components, as most of my responses are coming from outside North America.

Have always stayed with tubes here - preamp and power amp. I've never found the correct rendering of the timbre and harmonic overtones of acoustic instruments any other way. From what I keep hearing in other systems, I don't expect to change from tube gear and vinyl.

Monoblocks and separates have kept us happy for 35+ years, and it would take some severe space constraints in our living quarters to cause us to move to an integrated. (That's where we started in the early '70s and were pleased to be at the time: a late '50s vintage tube integrated by Fisher.)

At this point, we're fortunate that the economy is not affecting our decisions, but we don't change out gear very frequently and don't anticipate replacing anything in the foreseeable future. We've always preferred to fine tune to get the most out of whatever we have before moving infrequently to something else that will make a very material improvement. Just added a Walker Audio Velocitor and High Definition Links to get another step up in performance out of the system and considering some manufacturer's upgrades to a couple of components, but no changes in components.
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I've been enjoying the liquid mid-range/3D imaging/transparency/realism of a tubed top-end(Cary SLM100's, modded) and the speed/definition/extension/power of a MOS-FET bottom-end for the past 19yrs(was a Hafler DH-500, now a TransNova 9505, both modded). The last combination included a Placette Passive Linestage and a Dahlquist DQ-LP1(modded, that had been in my system since 1981, for lack of anything in the marketplace to better it). My latest system iteration has replaced those last two pieces with a TacT RCS 2.2Xaaa. I eschewed signal manipulation and all things digital(in the home audio environment) for many years. The TacT(soon to be modded) represents a major paradigm shift, but one that has yielded major sonic(and flexibilty) benefits. Hopefully- The NOS Holy Grail tubes everything is stuffed with will provide the 10kHrs they are rated for, so I won't have to mortgage the house to replace them(TungSol 6SN7GT round plates, Sylvania 6SN7W tall bottles, six Siemens CCa's). The only thing I can see having to replace might be in the Source Dept, if/when technology takes a quantum leap there.

Moved to tubes and have not looked back;I can not find the midrange magic in solid state that I have in tubes,but I have never listened to the elite of the elite of solid state,so it may exist and I just don't know about it.
I am looking someday to try the OTL route with ralph's (atmasphere)amps driving my soundlabs.

I started out with SS (APT Holman, Electron Kinetics) then went to tubes (Quicksilver) then I went back to SS (Plinius), then went back to tubes (BAT). I am thoroughly satisfied with my current tube amp, although sometimes I could use a bit more power for those "special moments". I do not feel the need to upgrade at this time, so economy has not affected me with regards to audiophilia.