As far as the 'sonic match' is concerned, your speakers should be fairly easy to drive. That is not the issue. There is a longstanding and often acrimonious debate over whether to tube or not to tube...
The answer is not as sumple as some people might make it out to be. If you were to review every system posted on AudiogoN, the split would be close to 50/50 on any given day. That either means that half the people who posted their systems are a bunch of moronic fools (is that redundant) or else the difference is not that important.
SS is simple and once the listener buys an amp they can live with, there is nothing else that needs to be done. Tubes require a greater level of commitment. Tubes wear out, some faster than others. Tubes need to be biased on a regular basis. Some say monthly others say every six months. Some amps are self biasing, so that aspect can be eliminated.
Tubes sound very good when they are at peak performance, but what about the rest of the time? First they must be broken-in, this can seem to take an eternity. Then after several minutes of bliss begins the break-down process. Since tubes will not break-in at the same rate, the listener is never certain which tubes are ideal and which are either early or late in their lifespan, and what affect this has on the sound of the music.
VTL makes are great product, but so do Pass Labs, Classe, Bryston, and Krell. There are lots of great amps made, each of them must be judged on their own merits, not the ongoing tube vs SS debate. Buy the product that meets your needs and sounds the best to you. Life is just a series of compromises unless you're Bill Gates, or Bill Clinton. The rest of us have to live within our means. What will best fit your needs and means?
The answer is not as sumple as some people might make it out to be. If you were to review every system posted on AudiogoN, the split would be close to 50/50 on any given day. That either means that half the people who posted their systems are a bunch of moronic fools (is that redundant) or else the difference is not that important.
SS is simple and once the listener buys an amp they can live with, there is nothing else that needs to be done. Tubes require a greater level of commitment. Tubes wear out, some faster than others. Tubes need to be biased on a regular basis. Some say monthly others say every six months. Some amps are self biasing, so that aspect can be eliminated.
Tubes sound very good when they are at peak performance, but what about the rest of the time? First they must be broken-in, this can seem to take an eternity. Then after several minutes of bliss begins the break-down process. Since tubes will not break-in at the same rate, the listener is never certain which tubes are ideal and which are either early or late in their lifespan, and what affect this has on the sound of the music.
VTL makes are great product, but so do Pass Labs, Classe, Bryston, and Krell. There are lots of great amps made, each of them must be judged on their own merits, not the ongoing tube vs SS debate. Buy the product that meets your needs and sounds the best to you. Life is just a series of compromises unless you're Bill Gates, or Bill Clinton. The rest of us have to live within our means. What will best fit your needs and means?