The VTL amps do not have very good specs. High distortion. Moving to a relatively distortion free amp, say, THD and IMD in the vicnity of <0.005%, instead of the 1-2% of so many so called high-end products, will be significant. Where cables, top end components, and tweaks, are of questionable value at best.
Are you into dipole speakers, say, electrostatic, or planer? There is a myth that because they tend to be revealing that a 'warming' (=distortion) tube amp is needed.
Truth be told, what they reveal is the sonic quality of the source material which is all to commonly bright, and otherwise inferior. Or other distoriton producing components. The system gets blamed for its very superior quality.
Ironic.
Then one is traveling down the ludicrise path of using the system to mix out inferior qualities of all too many recordings, which at the same time is masking any sonic superiority of other material.
Are you into dipole speakers, say, electrostatic, or planer? There is a myth that because they tend to be revealing that a 'warming' (=distortion) tube amp is needed.
Truth be told, what they reveal is the sonic quality of the source material which is all to commonly bright, and otherwise inferior. Or other distoriton producing components. The system gets blamed for its very superior quality.
Ironic.
Then one is traveling down the ludicrise path of using the system to mix out inferior qualities of all too many recordings, which at the same time is masking any sonic superiority of other material.