FWIW, I had a REF 5SE and then REF 6 paired with a REF 75SE amp for a few years. The synergy was excellent (obviously) and my system was great. However, a couple of years ago, I moved to Classé's new Delta series (Delta pre and monos) and never looked back. More details, more speed but without the downsides sometimes associated with SS. I thought I would miss the tube sound (although ARC's sound is very neutral not tubey). The move to Classé has been an improvement across the board (class A for first 35W). ARC have great gear butI cannot find anything I miss from my previous system and management of tubes is over. My 2 cents.
Should I Sell My ARC REF 6 and Get A Pass Labs XP-32
So here's the question. I love my ARC REF 6. It's a great piece of equipment. But lately, I have been thinking that maybe I should switch from tubes to a Pass Labs XP-32, as I don't want to worry about replacing tubes in the future (like 5-10 years from now -- I know that there is plenty of stock now and I have a spare set anyway) as I approach retirement age. Of course, other than buying a Pass Labs XP-32 and putting it into my system to see how it sounds, I am at the mercy of professional reviewers. The rest of my system: I have a Pass Labs 250.8 (so I think that there would be great synergy with the XP-32), MSB Discrete DAC with Premier Power Base and Wilson Sabrina X speakers, and a full loom of Shunyata cables. Will the XP-32 be an improvement over the REF 6 for my system? Should I sell the REF 6 and get an XP-32?