Best SS amps with sound similar to tube amps

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.

Gamut Mk.3. ss amps rival some very good tube amps. They are particularly highly regarded in Europe. I believe their secret is using single large mosfet switching output devices which gives them single voicing much like a SET tube amp. I haved used a Gamut Mk.3. for 2 1/2 years with a deHavilland Mercury set tube preamp with very accurate, natural, musical results. Several excellent reviews are out there.

While I am still wet behind the ears when it comes to this new passion of mine I feel like I should chime in here. I just bought a PS Audio GCA 250 solid state amp with level 2 and level 3+ mods and I think it's about as close as you can come to tubes with SS, but more importantly why not use both? I have a tube phono stage from YS Audio (Audio Excellence Concerto PLUS) and a Woo Audio II tube pre. I love the warm, rich texture from tubes but wanted the heart of the system to have the reliability AND the dynamic bass response of solid state and I must say... it sounds pretty damn tubular!

Also look at the Pass/First Watt Aleph J if you have high efficiency speakers. A good friend has one and it is incredible. Good luck.

Darts indeed. one other would be Gryphon though I do prefer the Darts....Gryphon when I tried them accentuated mid bass excessively...but they do not sound like your typical ss.

I agree with Sheffb, the Gamut amp is very natural and very musical .Well built