thekid, A properly set up tube system will be extremely enjoyable, and is not the sign of snobbery, but rather the sign of someone who likes the finer things in life. One of my all time favorite systems was a Tube pre-power through Klipschorns... expensive ? yes... close to live music ? ... absolutely.

Does this mean Denon, Yamaha, etc... are "bad" ? ... No... just different price points and performance levels.