Switching to solid state amp?

@bobheinatz 

But the question can I live long term with a SA amp?

You know the answer regarding how you need to go about finding out. : )

If you find the right match for your system, my sense is you may be very pleasantly surprised; and if you get a few amps that don't you'll be wondering why you bothered. 

You haven't mentioned budget, speakers, your tubed pre, or room .... knowing those will help.

I owned Quicksilver V-4 mono blocks for 10 years in my system which was based around Vandersteen speakers, 5's and Quatro's. I switched to the Aesthetix Atlas from the V-4's and was very happy. If you can hear the Aesthetix I think you may find what you are looking for. The Aesthetix is a hybrid amp and uses 6SN7's for the input stage. The Quickies are great amps but once you hear the Atlas on the Vandersteen's it's hard not to make a change. This is just my opinion and YMMV.

http://www.aesthetix.net/atlas.php

Good Luck!

Budget up to $10,000 new or used.  My speakers sound great with my current 20 watt amps.  So easy to drive.  11 x 13 small room.  Preamp Deja Vu custom. Listen mostly to vinyl.   Aesthetic and Wells are interesting.

We are dealers for Electrocompaniet, whose amps are very tube like. Recently due to a stronger dollar their prices went down. They make a fantastic 250 watt beast of an amplifer the AW 250 and it is both very powerful and very open with a smooth tube like sound. It used to be $9k current price is $7,200.00 and it can drive anything with ease.

So I would add that amp to your list I am also intersted in listening to the Wells they are getting a lot of raves as well. 

As per tubes vs solid state, our reference system went from CJ ART tube amplifiers which are $40k tube amplifiers which are wonderful to the T+A solid state 300 watt amplifier which is a bit higher then your budget at $19k the T+A amp so far has consistantly sounded better than the best tube amplifiers we have tested driving our reference speaker lines, Kef Blades, Paradigm Personas, and the Polymer Reserach MKX-s.

None of the tube amplifiers ever had the slam tha you get from a good solid state amplifier, and todays' best solid state amplifiers have a much more tube like sense of imaging and midrange warmth. 

So for us, we love the new solid state gear. 

Hope that helps.

Dave owner
Audio Doctor NJ

Thanks for your opinion Audio Doctor.  I owned a Electrocompaniet Cdp in the early 2000’s so I am very familiar with their gear.  Wish I could expand my budget to look at the fine T+A  amp.