Dburdick, i don't know if the ST 85 can operate in Triode mode but i'm using VTL 185 monos with the 5.5 sig preamp and in triode small scale acoustic music is pretty much like being in the room with the musicians. seperation and definition is not a problem. in my comparisons with ss and tubes the ss amps won't touch the tubes for midrange wich is where the acoustic instruments dominate My guess is the VTL you were using didn't have enough juice to handle your speakers.
Reproduction of acoustic instruments with tube amp
I'm a "SS guy" looking to get a tube amp to play with. My biggest complaint with the tube amps that I have heard is that acoustic instruments don't sound real to me. Is this a common perception or have I just not heard a good tube amp? What design and/or type of output tubes should I look for if I want good reproduction of acoustic instruments? Any links to some docs on this topic would be appreciated as well. My budget is under $2k, speakers are 4ohm, 87dB but I don't need a lot of power (apartment). Thanks.