What makes a system compelling?

It takes time and experimentation. After tons of gear both tube and solid state, I must say ARC tube gear sounds most musical...especially the new more inexpensive stuff I.E...VS110 and SP16L. when combined with let's say a Sony ES SACD player and good cables you can have a dream system worth drooling over!!

Slappy is so silly...ya gotta love him! I'm not sure, but I think he knows my gear has included a who's who list of the top brands both tube and solid state. That being said, tubes done well sound completely natural, dynamic and palpable with deep bass and extended highs. Anyone who keeps up with the industry and or knows a musician or two will tell ya...tubes make music!!

It took me years of costly experimentation with both tubes and ss before I settled in on the new ARC stuff (which sounds more like solid state on the extremes but retains gobs of tube magic in the mids and how the images are portrayed..full, round with 3-D action). I have experienced what tbg has many times over up until now. I don't quite understand it but the synergy I have going hits the mark for me...not completely realistic, but better than most seats at the kimmel center in Philadelphia!