Anyone recommend a neutral tube amp?

there has been a trend in recent years in amplifier design, which i would term convergence. tube amps are sounding more like solid state amps and solid state amps are sounding less "transistory".

most tube amps, excluding some set designs, have minor deviations from neutrality. yes, there is an occasional clunker, but it is not difficult to find a tube amp whose flaws are not objectionable, if resolution is your goal.

there is no neutral amplifier. a well-trained listener can detect coloration after auditioning an amplifier for some period of time, with a variety of recordings.

my experience with my mac 275 indicates that the amp has e very minimal coloration.

is it possible that the intent is not to find a pefectly neutral tube amp, which in fact doesn't exist, but one providing balanced frequency response and sufficient resolution to satisfy most audiophiles ?

is the presence of coloration so objectionable that one would try to attain the unattainable ?

hi rfprice:

as i have indicated on this thread and in my previous comments, you should have no trouble finding a tube product in your price range which does not have the traditional tube sound. most amps are designed to be colorless. in my own pursuite of a vintage sounding tube amp in current production, i have not found one. this my loss is your gain.

pick an amp, and it will probably satisfy you. don't worry, euphonic coloration and bloom will not likely be the outcome of your selection.