The most emotional amp out there?


OK gang, I need your votes for the amp you feel that brings the chills, the goosebumps, yes maybe even a teardrop or two when you sit down and listen to your particular music of choice. Although many responders will automatically think of tubes, I do not necessarily share that "prejudice". I'm trying to find that special amp to mate with my Virgo IIs that really takes me to the heart of the music...as opposed to just performing the requisite audiophile tricks (e.g. imaging, soundstage depth, etc.). I'm tired of appreciating the specific virtues of a well known amplifier that I am auditioning but never really being transported to a place where I forget about the gear and simply am enthralled with the music.

Don't get me wrong - I enjoy the audiophile thing as much as the next person. But I am searching for the amplifier that will transcend the need to go through the checklist of listening attributes a reviewer does and instead will simply allow me to sit back and just be enveloped by the message that the particular recording artist I am listening to is trying to communicate.

I hope I'm being somewhat inteligible here and thanks for your suggestions.

Gregg
reneaugroup309c
With the right speakers, which is the case for all reference amps, Ralph Karsten's amps are superb and priced quite fairly vis a vis their quality.
Jtinn, please read my post carefully, I did not say that service was not currently available on Tenor amps. To quote you directly from another Audiogon post, "For all those who would like service on their amplifiers, be patient and Tenor's service department will be up and running shortly." This would indicate to me that, at one point in time, owners did not have service available. So, as I pointed out, they were not able to get service on their amps. Hey, I think that we both live in Portland, OR. Come over for a beer some time and set me straight on the exegencies of small-scale manufacturing. I'll buy.
Marty
The emotion is within the disc, not the hardware. Hope I caught the tenor of the thread.
I agree with Tripper. Since when did a pile of glass, silicon and wire get a soul. There ain't no ghost in that machine!
I had some of those emotional amps but I had to get rid of them. The tear stains on the front of the amps were just too distracting.

Tripper is right on. Get some music that really turns you on.

The sound you get from your system is all about synergy in your selected components and how they integrate with your room. There is no quick certain fix - its just a lot of work and it takes a lot of experimenting.

How do you know that what you want can be found in the amp - it might just be your sources or preamp, or your set up, or your room, that is the problem? Or maybe your Virgo's, god forbid. Even worse, maybe your expectations are just plain unrealistic. Have you EVER heard what you expect from any system anywhere?