The only bit I would like to add to this lively debate is to relate a small story. I will never forget first hearing my reviewer friend's system circa 1980. It consisted of Infinity IRS, ARC SP-10, Conrad Johnson Premier One, Goldmund Reference, and Koetsu whatever. It was the first time I had heard a high end tube amplifier. Despite Mr Coherent's assertion, good tube amps do not compress dynamics or lose control in the face of complex passages. If anything, their clipping characteristics are far more forgiving than SS units. That system possessed the most incredible ease and clarity. Large scale works like Orff's Carmina Burana would knock you down with dynamics. Many years later, hundreds of amps have gone through his system, but he still prefers the naturalness of the best tube amplifiers. Either the big ARC Reference units or one of the Jadis amps. Unlike Harley enthusiasts, I do not prefer them out of some nostalgic interest in the past. I really find SS units more practical. You leave them on all the time and don't have to worry about warm up delays, re-tubing, and heat generation. Listen carefully in your own system and make the judgement. Audio Research, Conrad-Johson, Atmasphere, Cary, Jadis, VTL, Lamm, and many others do not exist to satisfy a lunatic fringe audience.
