SS Amp to replace VAC 300.1 in a side-ways move?

My opinion will differ based on my past experience. Went from Canary CA339 tube monoblock amps - 300B push/pull amps with premium tubes throughout. NOS RCA's purchased from Andy at Vintage Tube Services and Sophia Electric Princess Mech Plate 300B tubes. Also had several other top notch tube amps. I am a huge tube fan and never thought I would change long term.

One SS amp changed that. TRL Samson monoblock amps. I have a review here on the Gon. Only $5500 brand new direct from Paul. They bettered my past tube amps in many areas.

I pair them with a great tube preamp and feel I not only gave nothing up, but actually gained.

The McIntosh MC402 and top of the line Electrocompaniet amps are also wonderful and will leave you wanting nothing.

The TRL amp however is the best of the group.

Tube amps are so wonderful, but you CAN find SS amps today that will leave you 100% SATISFIED and not missing a tube amp.

The key is careful system matching including the wire. I'm afraid just changing the amp alone may not get you there. I worked at dialing in the sound with my preamp and wire. For me, a dynamic tube preamp with warm and full bodied wire finished the quest.

I no longer need to deal with tube heat, hassle, biasing, when to replace, cost etc. I can leave my TRL amps on 24/7 with no worries and little cost. They are always cool to the touch and 100% hassle free and always warmed up and ready to go!

The only VAC amps I have owned are the Musicbloc 70's. The Canary 339's greatly outclassed them in my system. I have not heard your amp however.

I suppose a small % of us simply cannot give up a tube amp and I respect that. Just sharing my experience.

Bobheinatz amp was not the same to clarify. Mine had TRL's ground breaking new power supply that was just developed. The 225 amps were still very good, but the power supply in the latest Samson amps are a revelation.

The other thing is one just can't swap an amp and then compare. A new component needs to be dialed into a system to know its real capabilities in that system. Changing a tube in a preamp, new IC, power cord, speaker cables, tweeks etc.....

I cannot overstate this point. My comments are based on keeping the same speakers and dialing in around that.

Bill
This stuff really changes things and one

Want to add more to my above points. When switching from one amp to another, just changing an IC can make all the difference in the world.All of a sudden the things one missed in the new amp are now much better etc... Remember, a system is just that - a collect of the individual parts.

My Samson amps just plain work wonderfully with the same builders tube preamp and his wire. Another my have the same amp with different results based on system set-up and synergy. We also have yet to talk about the room .....

Bottom line point is that with some effort a music lover, tube amp lover, can find bliss with an SS amp dialed into his SYSTEM.