kid-
you have to forgive 2x6 a bit.. he can get touchy when he feels his beloved 'tube' infactuation being threatened or questioned. there is no question, he is the 'tube' authority around here, with haole-boy a close second.. so, when it comes to questions on tubes, those are the guys to ask..
now, as far as the difference in sound.. there is one.. those that love the tube sound, swear by it.. those that dont.. dont.. its as simple as that.. you would probably need to hear the two different systems to be able to make your own judgement. and there is no doubt, tube stuff is WAY more expensive..
so, factor in what you want, with what you can spend, and build from there.. but, i would be willing to say that you would not be unhappy with a good denon, yamaha, onkyo, HK, marantz, pioneer elite, sony ES, integra, or any other countless brands of solid state receivers..
good luck, and happy building of your HT system.
bigjohn
