I guess I have beaten tubegroover and a few other to the punch here (maybe) by mentioning the David Berning 270. I was using a Mesa Baron, which is a good amp, but no comparison to the Berning (which is, arguably, an OTL, although there is much debate about that). Many practical advantages over the Joules--size, heat, etc. Replace the tubes with NOS and the sould improves dramatically. Several long threads on the Berning went on here about 2-3 months ago, comparing it to other OTL's--Atma-sphere, Tenor, etc. Do a search, or go over to the Asylum, there's a little discussion of the Berning there now in the General forum. You also don't need a preamp with the Berning; it has a built in volume control, two inputs, et.
Since I have a single-ended battery bam, never had a chance to compare to balanced.
Since I have a single-ended battery bam, never had a chance to compare to balanced.