Ah, my cigar smoking, vintage car afficianado fan of Dr. Strangelove, how can you compare a tube amp to driving a vintage car when, although you have driven vintage cars, you've never listened to a tube amp?
I have suffered from an affection for vintage cars, and can tell you, that there is no comparison. Vintage cars are expensive and perform poorly by today's standards. A good tube amp is as good if not better than a solid state amp.
I've enjoyed a 1990 390 AMX 4 speed (not bad at all by current standards), a 1954 Hudson Hornet with the Twin-H 7X racing engine, and enjoyed the heck out of that one, but would concede a Honda Accord is an infinitely superior vehicle.
A good (modern) tube amp, on the other hand, reproduces music beautifully and gives up nothing to its sand based rivals.
Just my opinion of course. Yours may differ. It's still a free country.
