Sacrilege Going from Tubes back to Solid State


Hello gang,

Well the time may have come. I am getting way over the fuse blowing, bias adjusting and general baybying my Tube Monos are putting me through. I love the sound of my VTL MB 300s that I had VTL upgrade to the new 450 status a few years ago. I love the depth, stage, sweetness and punch they give my Meadowlark Hot Rod Herons. I love the front to rear layering and detail they reveal.
Can anybody recommend a solid state amp or monos that MIGHT give me some of what I love? I am in the $4000.00 range and looking primarily at used product. I use JPS labs Super 2 Speaker and ICs and a modded VTL 2.5 pre with an Ayre CX-7e Digital front end with a Rega P-25 sporting a Dynavector Karat 17 mk II driving a plinius Jarrah Phono stage.
My frustration may be getting the best of me here but I am tired of crossing my fingers when I turn on my stereo!
I have heard good things from Older levinson gear, perhaps newer McIntosh? How about Accuphase? or ARGGGGGGGGGGHH a little help please! Thanks in advance.
128x128meadowman
Undertow, I noticed your system posted on Audiogon that you have the Odyssey Extreme with the new red boards. I too have a Stratos with the new red board. I am curious if you know what technical differences these new boards entail? I talked to Klaus on the phone and he said the red boards have some new circuit improvements but did not give specifics. After playing my newer Stratos I was not able to hear any sonic differences but was strictly going by memory in reference to the slightly older Stratos I use to own. But more time spent with it and break-in could reveal something.
Well the extremes obviously go up in capacitance, my understanding the only differences on the standard stratos boards are it uses like Freid hexfreid? not sure of spelling superfast rectifiers, and like some improved resitors and bypass caps on the board.. I know a few were done special with some nichon caps on the board but they found some real popular sanyos or something just as good or better and stuck with those... Its very little improvements I would guess overall.. Also the new 2006 on up versions have new top plates with the Holes in them for simply style character on the stereo version, and for actual ventilation in the 3 channel version, the 3rd channel added on the home theater stratos versions run hotter, the stereo version does not break room temp.
I would hate to be so stereotypical but tubes give off a sense of realism that SS amps cannot attain. I will not go as far as saying that I would never listen to SS. The SS amps that I heard at shows are truly excellent, however he non fatiguing sound of tubes make them my favorite. Also I like the notion of 'tube rolling'. The chance of replacing your stock tubes for some Bugle Boys and improve the sound makes this a true hobby. If changing tubes are to much trouble, why bother replacing a stock power cord. IMHO.