Tubes vs Tubeless

I can't recommend Aric and his gear highly enough - I recently got his Super 6SN7 preamp and had it upgraded and it's by far the best preamp I've ever had in my system. Plus you can give Aric a call and discuss what you're looking for with him; he's great to talk with and can sometimes customize gear to what you need. 

@bigkidz Peter ! Great to see you here - hope this finds you well in music :-)

@dekay noted but an Ayre SS amp is also a very nice match . I’m a fan of the big Nelson designed Stasis - my brother gets wonderful sound out of his with an ARC  line stage…

best to you in music

meet for a Java in LA some day

I like tubes but I’ve never owned Vandersteen. What’s ironic is Vandersteen is manufactured about 30 miles from where I live. I’ve had tube amps from 8 wpc to 180 wpc , mono blocks , two channel, and integrated. My bonehead assumption is that if you have sufficient wattage you should not have trouble driving them. Also suggested is a tube pre to SS amp(s). With summer on the horizon I’m looking at my first class D amp(s) to drive my Tekton DI’s as they can take big wattage. I have vintage JBL’s and they are wattage hogs. I was able to drive them with a 35 wpc integrated tube amp to decent levels but I like loud music. Also consider Rogue gear as they have power and integrated amps rated 100 wpc. My suggestion is to email Vandersteen and ask for their recommendation. Happy Listening, Mike B. 

folks who compare tube amps of the same quality to their solid state tend to prefer tubes for a more lifelike realistic sound. its pretty common for audiophiles to go from solid state to tube but not too common to go the other way. 

Thank you.