do tubes rock ??

Of course tubes rock!!! Why else would they be in the serious rock 'n roll equipment? But, for Thiel 7's they are not a good match. Not unless you want to get a beast with 16, 24, or 32 output tubes(probably wouldn't have the right tone anyway, and you'll go broke feeding those dinosaurs during retube). Go with solid state for this speaker. One more thing, THE tube for rock is NOT the EL34/6CA7 or 6550/KT88/KT90. It is the 6L6/5881/KT66.

EL34(my favorite tube) is a polite, sweet, laid back, warm, euphonic tube. 6L6 is trashy, gutsy, punchy, and dirty. Which is exactly why you don't see it much in high end audio these days(Mesa Baron and Golden Tube used it). It would get trashed by many a reviewer(playing jazz, classical, folk, chamber, etc.). Maybe not the best for overall performance, but definitely is ROCK. I guess we are saying the same thing when you point out the EL34 is superior to the 6L6/5881 in the Baron(upgrade for audiophiles). We are 180 degrees apart in what we think about guitar amps. Play around with a Mesa Boogie(which I consider THE best non-exotic guitar amp made today). They come with 6L6 standard, but also accept EL34(so you can A/B them directly, unlike comparing different amps). If the amp with 6L6 isn't balls out rock, nothing is. Now switch over to EL34; you can sit right down and play some jazz, fusion, or any other "clean and mellow" sound, and nobody will even blink. Switching from 6L6 to EL34, the amp goes from the garage to the living room.

John_l, I too am glad we politely agree to disagree. I have never thought about using the Baron(it's stereo) for guitar. As I am not around them now, I am not sure... My friend just got a Boogie last month, and let me tell you, it kicks SERIOUS butt. He has had a Peavey 5150, and a few Marshalls(including some cool vintage ones), but this is far and away the best. We threw some Groove Tube(JJ for people who don't want to get ripped off) EL34s(just have to flip an internal switch, the amp takes care of the rest - bias, etc.) a guy had laying around in it, and it totally changed the amp. But, he much prefers the sound of the 6L6 in this amp. Just his taste in music. Trust me on this one, if you want a KILLER replacement for your 6L6, try the Sovtek KT66. Yes, they cost 3X more($60/pair) than 6L6, but you will be stunned at their tone. Great conversing with you!

This amp is a dual rectifier, using 5U4s. As you probably know you can get single, dual, or triple rectifier from Mesa. You can even switch between tube or diode rectification. Have to say they are built and sound terrific. The interesting thing to me is how guitar people look at the $1200 cost as astronomical. And my friend makes great money. We spend that much on an interconnect...