Neutral Sounding Tube Amps - what gives?


If I'm in the market for a tube power amp or preamp, it's because I enjoy the sheer musicality of tubes, the romance they bring, the warmth, the inner-glow, the bloom, the whatever the heck you want to call it.

So why, when I'm reading current reviews and forum comments on the latest tube gear, has it suddenly become a good thing to encounter modern tube gear that sounds 'neutral,' 'transparent,' 'uncolored,' etc.? These were not the attributes that drew me to use 'valves' in the '80s (A classic Leak Stereo 20 driving Quad ESL57s), and it's not what I want from my tube gear today.  

Who changed the rules? Did anyone else get the memo?

With the above in mind, what do you consider to be the best tube preamp offering a 'classic' tube sound, but built in the last decade, say in the $10K new range? I'm not shopping, I'm just curious to see if I'm missing something.

Cheers

Rooze
rooze

Showing 1 response by dentdog

I run a Supratek Chardonnay with some upgrades for the pre and like very much the 6SN7 presentation. It’s hard to describe in typical audiophile terms being that it just sounds right to me. More dynamic than any other tube unit I’ve heard but having heard and owned a few, just say it will shove when you ask it to. Great bass, never soft, never shrill.
As for amplifier, came across a demo unit Audiopax Maggiore M100.
Sometimes I just grin when the combo gets going. Runs KT88s in triode, six in each mono block, but I doubt it’s ever been pushed as speakers are 100 db efficient and the amp outputs 100W. When ramped up, the sound gets bigger more so than louder.
As an aside, Almarg, in his usual insightful and unpretentious manner, helped me sort out the particulars. Forever grateful to my favorite Audiogon poster. May he rest in peace.