I’m back with the SR Orange while the Purple sits in another piece of gear to burn in. I think way too much space is consumed on whether fuses change the sound, which they obviously do, and not enough on what kind of changes. My assumption has been that with each of these level ups the sound just gets "better" in a linear way, but with the Purple it seems also a lateral move as the tonal balance is changed so much. Right now the Purple is too mid and bottom heavy in my amp and dark on top. Somewhat like using Transparent Audio cables, but moreso. The vocals are incredible with their dynamic range, but also seem saturated with very tube-like harmonics and texture.
If you want a cheap fix to turn a thin SS amp into a tube sound, or tube amp even more gooey, this is it. As for me, I need my amp to sound nimble and open on top, so probably sticking with Orange unless a burn in miracle occurs.
