Depends what you listen to (and want to hear). Not everybody should own tubes. If you only listen to rock, and have spent your whole life listening to it on solid state gear, chances are that you will not think tubes sound "right". On the other hand, if you listen to acoustic music (be it classical, jazz, blues or folk)tubes will open up the sound into a new world of realism and spaciousness. And I don't even own any tube gear yet (too many kids and dogs running around, and a wife that wants all gear hidden inside a cabinet). My day will come. Advice: call a good dealer and ask to have an audition arranged that will pit comparably priced tube and SS rigs using the same speakers, source and music. And please bring your own music; stuff you know and love, otherwise the test is pointless. Let us know!
