best budget integrated amp?

[markw]

Why not start out with a tube amp as we all eventually end up there, no matter how many solid states we go through on the way

No, we don't. That's a lie.

Besides, this thread is five years old.

[JohnMichael]

No tubes for me. I love my Krell and dynamic driver speakers. I once listened to some PMC speakers with a McIntosh tube amp. I kept thinking the bass would be better with some good solid state power.

[frenchmon]

No tubes for me. I love my Krell and dynamic driver speakers. I once listened to some PMC speakers with a McIntosh tube amp. I kept thinking the bass would be better with some good solid state power.

I've got that SS power in my hybrid....Well I've been going back and forth with the Vincent and Rotel SS. I can see why there are two camps. SS is a cleaner sound, while the distortion of the tubes is romantic. I was at a live concert Sunday and the guitar amps had tubes in them. I noticed that same distortion...

[markw]

SS is a cleaner sound, while the distortion of the tubes is romantic. I was at a live concert Sunday and the guitar amps had tubes in them. I noticed that same distortion...

Funny, I've spent my life trying to get rid of as much distortion as possible in my playback system. Now, to intentionally add it in across the board just sticks in my craw.

But, I can see where the distortion added by tubes can be a boon to music production, such as in wailing, screaming, guitars, fuzzy bass, and other intentionally added sound effects but that just seems to lead to this rusty old caveat:

"Tubes are great for some electronic music production but solid state is better for all music REproduction."