Well, Mhorgel, you cigar smoking afficianado of vintage cars and good tunes, all I can say is, if you find yourself in Southern California, COME ON BY, and I'll audition some tubes for ya!
I have the ASL which knocks my socks off, and my dad is shipping out an old top-of-the-line Harman Kardon tube amp which'll get the overhaul treatment of new and modern capacitors, etc., and then get added to my collection of musical foot warmers. Hopefully it'll be up and running pretty soon.
Mhorgel, what you say is reasonable but not based on personal experience. If I told you that I thought the Marantz amp you have recommended is OK but not as good as an ATI, and if I told you that I never heard a Marantz amp, what would you say?
If someone says they listened to Tube Amp X and liked it or didn't like it, what can you say? Their opinion is based on experience, it has prima facie value. If someone says I never heard a tube amp but I think they're great or I think they're crap, what can you say of such an opinion? Only that it is based on something other than personal experience - it may be based on a report from someone else with personal experience or based on theory (all tube amps are crap, thanks Alan) or all tube amps are great. Neither is of value.
That's why I say, trust your ears and I'll throw a steak on the BBQ for ya if you want to listen to my tube amp.
