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I use vacuum tube amplifiers during 99% of my listening sessions. Solid state amplifiers are used when I feel a need for huge power and bass impact. My tube amp sounds much more open and extended on top.

Just purchased a pair of mono-blocks, Kenwood L-05Ms, for a friend of mine for less than two hundred bucks. And they kick such royal ass as to make me sick. They are so fast, so articulate, so without "solid state hangover" that I am just about to the point of NEVER buying a new power amp again. Killer. Don't compete with me in the Denver market 'cause I'll buy silly-assed Kenwood Monoblocks each and every time they come up for sale. Totally slays NAD, McIntosh, Adcom, Hafler, HK, etc. And used, totally mint, and the "fastest" amp I've ever heard! Yeah, amps haven't changed since the sixties. Go used, seek out those "magic" designs, and just laugh your butt off all the way to the bank!!!

The reason: my speakers (MBL 101d) are not available as active models + they need a lot of power (MC-1000)

Two big Krell stereo amps actively biamped using Krell's KBX crossover. It is worth every penny!

Goldmund SRM2: Transparent, fast, characterless devices. I like their performance but above all, I love the music that comes out of my speakers.

I'm using solid state (Arcam Alpha 10 & 10p) in my main system only because I couldn't find a reliable, benign-looking (wife acceptance factor), not-too-expensive, full-featured amp /w enough inputs and full remote control operation. Audiophile hair-shirt designs are just too impractical in the living room where I have 6 sources (and often switch between them) and the amp serves both music and AV needs: DVD and VCR. The bedroom system is powered by Unison Research Simply Two, which is just fine if you only have 2 sources and the amp is within the reach of your hand. I wish tube amp designers went for the mass-market designs so that I could listen to tubes in the living-room system without the silly inconveniences the "two knobs and a power switch" fashion.

simple, musical, punchy, that's music

I am using a tube stereo with 30W in Class-A and I am very satisfied, because it reproduces sounds that I have never heard with other amplifiers. So friends, keep the valves glowing.

A real ear-opener. Throw away your amp. Passive x-overs kill music.

Currently using Pioneer A/V receiver but I'd prefer a Krell KAV amp.

It's a musical fidelity E11. It's all I could afford at the time and I wanted something that would give me base to build on and would enable me to enjoy the music more in the meantime.

I use krell and goes well with my wilson speakers.

After being a Stereophile reader for five years, I finally had the opportunity (and the money)to begin building my first real (entry-level) system. After much reading and much listening at the local shops, I finally settled on the Creek 4330 MkII. Even though I live in a realatively small city, there are still a good number of choices here. Rotel, Arcam, Cambridge Audio, Musical Fidelity, Rega, Marantz, NAD, etc. But, in the end, I chose the Creek. It was not the least expensive, but it was the one that had the sound I prefered over all that I listened to (and could afford). My Creek sounds very nice with my Paradigm MiniMonitors and Pro-ject Debut turntable. I'm already saving and just itching to get a quality CD player, but what's the hurry? I can put up with CD sound on my wife's Yamaha system for the time being. It's true that this hobby is about the music, but there is also something to be said for the thrill of the hunt.

My Krell FPB 600 does everything I ask of it . . . and it does it fabulously.

Musical Fidelity X-A2.

not as much heat as tubes and more reliable...sonically inferior to my OTL monoblocks

Solid state stereo has a price/performance advantage that my wallet can handle.

Electrocompaniet ECI3

Mark Levinson 33H These are the best amps Ive ever heard.

I use Cary CAD-50 monoblocks. They run KT-90s (thanks, Kevin Deal) or KT-88s. They're powerful, reasonably detailed, and a great match for my Meadowlark Shearwaters. Most solid-state just didn't sound right to me.

I am new to tubes and bought a CJ Premier 11a as a starting point. Now I'm hooked. Next, perhaps a BAT75SE.

I know this is rather stupid, especially to serious audiophiles, but I am rather picky about having ALL of my components being the same brand. I have a Rotel amp, preamp, and CD player. If I upgrade to a different brand, well, it will cost me a LOT more money.

Haven't moved to the tube era yet, due to lack of space and experience with them. Trust solid state.

I have electrostatic speakers (Martin Logan) which present a heavy load so I needed wattage and high current. I like tubes but the price/power ratio was much in favor of solid state for this particular situation. I am very happy with the sound of the aplifier anyway (Adcom GPF 5500).

I am currently listening to a Rotel RMB-1096 200w x 5 channel power amp. The reason that I am listening to this amp is because I have not been able to put enough "scratch" (as the kids say) together to but a high end 2-channel amp (Levinson or Hovland specifically). Do not get me wrong, I love my amp. However, I have wanted a new amp for some time.

You need another category. It should be, solid-state with no loop feedback. (Ayre, BAT, Theta Digital). Their sound is as distinctive from "conventional" solid state amps as tube amps are.

Solid state because of excellent musical detail at moderate up-front cost with no upkeep cost or labor (so I can listen to music instead of tweaking the amp) and good power efficiency (acts more as a sonic device than a room heater). Stereo because I don't have the budget or room for multichannel at the performance level I require, even if there WAS sufficent properly mixed multichannel software to justify it (don't get me started on that one).

Right now, it's all I can afford. I would like to eventually get a 2-channel integrated amp for a separate system, but for now, the HT-receiver is it. Since I'm new to this, I don't know any better yet anyway. I'm sure in years to come, I will look back on what I'm listening to now and say "How???"

My Yamaha solid state integrated is cost-effective, space- efficient, spouse-friendly, low-maintenance and sounds plenty good for my needs. What else can I ask for?

Currently using a Jeff Rowland Model 10 amplifier. It is not only the best solid-state amplifier I have heard but one of the best amplifiers period. As a long-time tube user, I love the sound but tired of the heat, high replacement costs of quality tubes, and speaker impedance problems with tubes. I know it has become a cliche, but the Model 10 is as close to tube-sounding without the tube problems I have heard in MY system.