TUBE or SS?

or you could just a solid state amp with the SS power plus tube warmth such as the new Conrad Johnson MF2500 with a used Premier 14

Hi Craig, I read your post and would like to offer my opinion concerning bass reproduction of tube amps. I don't like to generalize but here it goes.... Solid-state amps tend to give a tighter more controlled grip in the bottom octaves where as the right tube amps give the texture timbre and surrounding air around the instruments in ? For me the virtues of a good tube amp are far more important at giving images their reality than solid-state. Out of the solid-state amps that I've heard and enjoyed the Bat VK-500 batpack, and the Pass designs have impressed me. But the texture eludes these fine designs to a degree also. I guess it's a matter of deciding what your priorities in reproduced sound are. The great tube designs have that "magic" for me that I have yet to hear from any solid-state amp at any price. Enjoy, Tom

I am interested in ML, VTL. I've seen them in various show's, however in HT configuration. Anyway they were impressive. What is a Z-System??

sedond!! I wouldnt be so quick to judge or blame your Rogue 99.You have only had it a short time and its too soon to pass blame.I have a 99 and have killer bass!! Could be any number of things thats not giving you the bass you want,but Im sure its not the 99.

Hi Tom; and thanks for your response to my "terse" post. I too shouldn't generalize. Some of the most important aspects of say, R&B music to me are pace, rhythm, and timing, and in my experience (limited w/ tube amps), SS amps are quicker, and have more control of woofers, and thus serve PR&T much better. I auditioned for a week, an SFS-80 (STPH Class B), and while it had a great mid-range and deep powerful bass, the rest of bass characteristics were terrible, ie slow, bloated, boomy, and it totally destroyed PR&T. This was in comparison to my McCormack DNA-1DX which had quick, tight, articulate bass with great PR&T. Other than this, I've only casually heard a few other tube amps at dealers. I agree that mid-range is most important, but to me good bass and PR&T are a close second. I would guess that some of the super tube amps must produce good bass-- I would like to know which and at what price. My long term solution may be to go to Vandersteen 5 speakers, that have built in SS amps for the woofers, and put a good tube amp on the mids + tweeter. Cheers. Craig.