Quote Originally Posted by mlsstl
I think that falls in one of those "different strokes for different folks" categories. Different people listen for different things.

While it is popular among some of the cognescenti to hear "massive" differences in electronics there are a lot of people who find the differences between amps far more modest than the differences between speakers or sources. I know in my case I made my last switch from solid state amplification back to tubes based far more on a love for the general tube concept than any sonic ascendancy into heaven.

I've got no problem with a fellow who puts speakers and sources several notches above amplifiers in the selection process. Of course, that is the neat thing about this hobby. With the extraordinarily wide range of equipment available on today's market there are a lot of different ways to chase one's dream.
I'm going to agree mostly with SS amplifiers. I've heard a few vintage amps versus some new $2k ones and you know I would probably agree - there are some very good vintage amps and SS power just isn't very different - more power maybe and newer better parts (but costly) and in many cases if you buy used for the same money you can do a lot better than a new model. A 1990's Sugden A21a IMO is pretty tough to better when we're talking SS amplifiers (assuming you have reasonably efficient speakers). It's the only SS amp I would part with my money for. Not because it's necessarily the best (for whatever that loaded word means) but because the sound is "right" it's well built, it is dead easy to use, it has no annoying artifacts that many other SS amps possess, it has enough power to run most speakers and when you sell it you will get pretty much what you paid for it.

You get single ended topology (SET) but without the worry over flea power or tube replacement. The best SE tubes sound better but let's put things into perspective - and consider the price and not just spend for spending sake. The a21a good enough to be a take it to the grave amp by a supremely reputable company.

Tubes soundly wildly different from each other and in a tube bases system - amplifiers make a much more noticeable difference (even in those blind tests people love) tubes sound different.

Turnatables make staggering differences as you move up the line. Speakers obviously have the largest frequency response differences - I do not believe frequency response is nearly as important as some give it credit for simply because the professional reviewers often BUY out of their own money speakers that measure quite a lot worse than what are deemed better measuring speakers which directly flies in the face of frequency being the critical factor.