[Arny Krueger]

"Rockinghorse Winner" wrote in
message

Your desire for tight bass does not favor a tubed amp.

Might one say that tubes amps favor jazz and classical
and SS amps favor rock and R&B?

One might say that, but I would be prone to disagree with it.

It is my opinon and experience, that the best tubed amps for reproducting
music are as accurate as a good SS amp, but cost a ton more money to obtain
and operate. Rememeber, I literally grew up in the days when tubes were all
that we had, and my first 4 or 5 amplifiers were tubed.

I do get into tubed amps as musical instrument amps. However, instruments
amps are about making music, not reproducing music. To me the ideal
amplifier is like a straight piece of wire with gain and power. If it is
small, efficient, reliable and has a low initial cost, so much the better
(for me).

It is not that I'm categorically against shaping the timbre of music to suit
a place and occasion. I think that there are good tools for doing shaping
the timbre of what we listen to, and that these tools are designed to give
the listener or the technical person the best possible opportunities for
getting the shape he desires.

Amplfiers that lack tone controls (which include most modern amps and
preamps) can only shape the timbre of music in one way. The demands of a
particular listening circumstance are highly varied. Therefore, a tool that
shapes music only one way, or a limited numbers of ways is highly
inadequate.


-- You might want to look at separates - a preamp and a
power amp.

I have an appointment at the neighborhood audio dealer to
hear a B&K separate combo. BTW, what do you think of B&K?

Pricey but good.