I had an Aleph 5 for a few months (60 watt version of the Aleph 3). Closest to tubes I've heard SS come, and a damn nice amp in its own right. I was pairing it off with a ARC LS2B (tube hybrid...sorry, don't recall the output impedence, but mine has been modified by Great Northern Sound). That combination was wonderful through both Silverline SR17's (89db) as well as Klipsch Heresys(94db). With the Silverlines in a listening room I was wanting for more punch than the Aleph 5 had to offer. Suprisingly I'm now listening to Quicksilver Mini-Mites in the same room on the same system (with the Heresys) and find them to have more punch and headroom than the Aleph 5 seemed to at just under half the power (25wpc)!?!? I don't get that. I think the Alephs are not known to be bass-heavy, but then I'm no bass freak either...the mids are where it's at for me, and they were there in spades with the Aleph, wide, deep and well defined and very musical! Ultimately I prefer tubes, but if I had to stick with an SS, the Aleph is one of the best I've heard.
