I have two Essence amps, which to me, sound more like tube amps than any other solid state amps I have heard. They have an immediacy, midrange clarity, and soundstage dimensionality of better tube amps, but not syrupy, slow, and warm like early tube amps. Of course they have a lot more speed and detail, better bass and dynamic range. The only thing I have never heard a SS amp do as well as tubed amps is in dimensionality of instruments and voices.
