Snopro, yeah all i'm essentially saying is, for me there was life after tubes. I really didn't think i'd find an amp which had all the desirable qualities of a high end SS amp as well as valve amp, and yet be so beguiling and musical. I have owned and enjoyed some good valve gear including my current Aesthetix Romulus cdp. My philosophy is valves work best in a high end cdp or linestage where they're not stressed and can operate reliably with a SS power amp. I (personally) don't like using tube power amps. I've seen my friend's Cary mono blocks blow up spectacularly and have problems sourcing tubes. But you don't have to spend $27k to get really good tube-like sound from SS gear. Modwright is a great example of good value, reliable, beautifully built amps which combine the best of ss and tubes. Hence Dan Wright and I get along very well and have the same philosophy. At the OP's budget level, the KWI-200 integrated is an excellent high end value imho.
