"Trevor Wilson" wrote in message
m...
David Holgate wrote in message
...
The message
from "Trevor Wilson" contains these
words:

**It doesn't bother me, one bit, how far you shove your head into the
sand.
It is your problem, not mine, that you care not one bit for logic and
reason. If you want to buy *any* piece of audio equipment, without
first
listening to it, you deserve exactly what you are likely to receive.

Good luck. Because that is what you are relying on.

I doubt is the situation is often as simple as not caring for logic and
reason. Few audiophiles are in the position of being able to audition a
wide range of valve gear.

**Just I would never marry a woman, or buy an automobile without a
proper 'test drive',


The trouble with 'test driving' women or cars is that you've got to be
comfortable with the idea that you are highly unlikely to be the only one
who's done it..... ;-)


nor would I (or any sane person) buy a piece of
audio equipment, without a suitable test.


OK, I agree with that entirely but needs must when the devil drives.
Martin/Fleetie has a limited budget and *wants* a valve amp. He's got an
itch and he needs to scratch it - it's that simple.


Had the original poster
decided on a (say) Quad II, then I could understand, as he has already
experienced one. Assuming that a valve amplifier will solve his
problems, is, IMO, a rather foolish thought.


I'm Hertfordshire born and Hertfordshire bred (traditionally 'strong in the
arm and thick in the head') and we have a saying: "You may not marry the
woman you love but, with a bit of luck, you'll love the one you
marry".....!!

(Means feck-all these days, but there you go! :-)

What I'm saying is that if Martin gets his valve amp** for his available
budget, it will have been no mean feat and I suspect he will be chuffed to
f*ck with it! His overall appreciation of it will more than compensate for
any deficiencies and he will *enjoy* it. As I think he has stated, if it
don't 'hit the spot' he'll move it on. Where's the harm in that?

There's a damn sight more satisfaction to be had from an audio setup when it
is a the 'end-user stage' than a damn silly line on a graph. (Not true at
the design stage, obviously!) For some it only takes a little blue LED or 2
(or 20) in the right place to make a piece of audio gear 'perfect'......!!!

(This from someone who greatly prefers valves to SS and who has just bought
a 'scope and a little SS amp off eBay to scratch his 'scope itch and his
little SS amp itch.... :-)


**Me either, but at those prices, they're likely to be Chinese
products. My experience with Chinese valve amps has, thus far, not
been overly good. None (I've examined) use decent output transformers.


Don't bloody start on that one.......

;-)


**OK, has already got (or it's on its way) but he isn't saying yet!