Thanks for the reply AFC! Looking at your system I see that you've just recently switched from circuits to tubes, and you have quite a collection of components too.
I've been totally dedicated to OTL amps since one of the ribbons on my Maggies shredded at the turn of this Century. I bought Merlins and shelfed my old Mark Levinson ML 3 (which I still own this behemoth largely because I can't lift it). I own a Berning, that I will probably never sell, and I had the Joule VZN-80 which my wife hated because it ran so hot! I've also owned and quickly sold two EL34 integrated amps.
I guess what I was trying to infer in my "I must be bored today" post was: owning an amp that's fun to play with. The Joule and Berning are not particularly fun to dink with.
While I don't really agree with your assessment of the build quality of the pentode amps, I've never got the "wow factor" from them that I've gotten listening to the OTL Joule Grand Marquis or the Wavelength Cardinal 300B. Of course both these amps are on the upper end of my amp budget, and the Joule is an overkill for my smallish dysfunctional listening room (not to mention the dispersion of heat). Also nothing seems to sound as wonderful once it's home as it did at the show or dealer. I have countless stories of disappointment.
There's so much to choose from you just wish you had the dollars and the understanding wife that would allow you to compare the variety of tubes with (let's say) the Wavac MD-300B, DeHavilland Stereo 845 and the Leben CS-660P and the speakers you're lusting after while listening in your very own home environment.
Sometimes I get upset about all that money I've recently lost in my 401K that I could have pissed away on more important things like collecting audio equipment!
I've been totally dedicated to OTL amps since one of the ribbons on my Maggies shredded at the turn of this Century. I bought Merlins and shelfed my old Mark Levinson ML 3 (which I still own this behemoth largely because I can't lift it). I own a Berning, that I will probably never sell, and I had the Joule VZN-80 which my wife hated because it ran so hot! I've also owned and quickly sold two EL34 integrated amps.
I guess what I was trying to infer in my "I must be bored today" post was: owning an amp that's fun to play with. The Joule and Berning are not particularly fun to dink with.
While I don't really agree with your assessment of the build quality of the pentode amps, I've never got the "wow factor" from them that I've gotten listening to the OTL Joule Grand Marquis or the Wavelength Cardinal 300B. Of course both these amps are on the upper end of my amp budget, and the Joule is an overkill for my smallish dysfunctional listening room (not to mention the dispersion of heat). Also nothing seems to sound as wonderful once it's home as it did at the show or dealer. I have countless stories of disappointment.
There's so much to choose from you just wish you had the dollars and the understanding wife that would allow you to compare the variety of tubes with (let's say) the Wavac MD-300B, DeHavilland Stereo 845 and the Leben CS-660P and the speakers you're lusting after while listening in your very own home environment.
Sometimes I get upset about all that money I've recently lost in my 401K that I could have pissed away on more important things like collecting audio equipment!