Where are you today?

I went from solid state seperates to solid state integrated to a tube integrated which is where I am now. I found that the tube integrated had a musicality that none of my prior SS amps exhibited.
Although I find that it takes the right tubes to make a tube amp sing. Not any old tube will do. A SS amp could still be a possibility in the future, but right now I'm enjoying tubes too much to care.

My last SS stuff was Threshold SA Amps combined with my SP10II, and some Quad 63's. Started with tube amps in '91. Have had multiple amps and speakers pass thru the house since then and haven't really been totally satisfied until nine months ago when I acquired some new Silverlines.

Now with a modest tube amp (which I use either as a basic amp or an integrated), the old SP10, and some tubed and SS sources, I think I'm settled. How can I tell? Easy, I'm not fanticizing about what something advertised for sale would sound like if I had it in my system. I've let my magazine subscriptions expire (the glossies are no longer interesting except for the Pass ad with the striking violinist - almost worth the cost of the subscription!), and I can't really think of how to improve the sound.

Maybe I should get a new room/house now so I can start all over. :-)

Being an audiophile from the early '70's, I've flip flopped through the years between SS and valves many times changing just for the sake of change - always seeking that Audio Nirvana we're all searching for. I currently have very neutral SS amplification (Moon P8, Bryston 7BSST's) but employ tubes in my front end components (ARC PH5, BAT VKD5SE). Teamed with my B&W 802D's, I find I get all benefits of the "Tube Sound" (whatever that is these days) with the frequency extremes, detail, and slam of solid state. Couldn't be happier with this set up.

Both, solid state and tubes. Analog and digital. Different systems, same room. Two sets of speakers, which I feed from both solid state and tubes. Still listen to a lot of r2r tape. Been at this for fifty years, but still learning.

Been with valves and vinyl since the late 70s. Moved to Avantgarde Horns a few years ago - best upgrade ever. Next best was my TRON tube pre-amp - now if only I could stretch to a new TRON power amp - that would then be it.

Charlie