[Paolo4223]

Hi There Folks,

I've been a vintage tube person for most of my audio years. Due to maintenance and other issues, I sold all my old tube gear early last year (2022). My speakers are Sonus Faber Guarneri Homage. My room is small but the rear wall opens to the living room. I can run a pair of small RELs with no boominess. I have DIY acoustic treatment, primarily 6" thick traps at the front corners and am adding some 2" thick wall panels- first reflection points, etc.

I'm using a Luxman 550AXii as well as a Conrad Johnson CAV452-2 - this is their newest "control" amp, approximately 60 WPC, employing a pair of EL34 or KT77 per channel. I have absolutely no complaints about this amp.

The Lux works just fine but I find it a bit "dry." The CJ works very well but I've never owned McIntosh components, and am tempted. I cannot audition any of the MAC gear I'm considering. I don't play music loud and my rock n roll days are behind me. Classical, jazz, world, fine, but no metal, rap, hophip, etc.

I keep thinking I should finally get off the tube roller coaster, but man, I do love what the best of those glowing bottles do, both sonically and visually. And I keep thinking maybe it's time to "go MAC." OTOH, I'm very curious how the autoformers would work with the Guarneri Homage, thus eliminating tube gear. And I love the funcgtionality of the full-featured integrateds. I play vinyl but mostly stream using a Gold Note DS-10 with outboard power supply.

Any insights will be greatly appreciated.
Thanks.
Paul