Solid state or tube what to do??


My system is Arcam A85 DIVA, Quad 12L speakers, NAD 521i CDP, Audioquest interconnects, and Type 4 Speaker cables. I purchased the Arcam 7 months ago but now have the itch to go tube. I have the option of trading my Arcam for a Cayin TA-30 that is fully modded except for the Auricaps. Also included are 2 sets of Svetlana tubes (one pair already on board) and the others to sweeten the deal. Am I making a bad move here by doing a straight trade or should I take the chance. I have no way of auditioning the Cayin as the owner is several hundred miles away. Being new to tube, what would I be losing by giving up my Arcam and/or gaining by getting the Cayin. Also, the little Quads are 6ohms. Could this cause a problem for the Cayin?
butterscotchmusic
Having used ARC tubes since 1990 (CL-60, VT-100 Mk-I, VT100 Mk-III) and Almarro A205A SE integrated until recently, I find myself using the super-nice Parasound A23 (SS, 180 w/ch @ 4 ohms) to drive my Thiel 1.6's.
The Parasound amp is so sweet I hardly miss the VT-100.

My advice is this:

If you tend to extended listening sessions, go with tubes.
If you listen for shorter periods (a couple of hours after work, etc.) go with solid state.
Transistors have a little more pizzaz in the short run.

This is why we need two systems!
if your as you say itching to try tubes then sell the arcam outright & hunt down a more powerfull tube amp,a 30 watt tube amp dont leave you many options at all & your bass response will suffer not to mention the lack of any headroom,unless you always listen at lower volumes you will end up missing the power of the arcam with a 30 watt tube amp.

keep in mind that only on rare occasions do mods add any value to a peice of gear unless its a cap upgrade,one more thing to think about,30 watts is 30 watts no matter weather it be tube watts or ss watts.

mike.
Dear Randelldoyle: Your Quad speakers are not very efficient one: 88db, and their nomonal impedance is 6 Ohms ( but they go as down 3 Ohms ).

These speakers characteristics tell to any one that it will best matched with SS electronics.

You can choose a tube amp but you never really could heard the real great Quad 12L sound reproduction performance through tubes .

Every tube amp ( any ) has a high output impedance that preclude a steady ( frecuency response ) performance.

Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.