Hi Lewis,   
        Thanks for your considered comments on tube amps. I have been reading 
articles about them on and off for months as they have become more and more 
popular. Couldn't help but wonder what one would sound like in my system.
        As you may have guessed I am playing with the idea of dividing my 
system into a music only and home theater systems. Although the so called 
experts all seem to agree that having one system do both very well is a 
relatively easy task, for my bank account, experience level and I cannot 
forget my "listening room from hell", I am having my doubts. It seems like 
everything I do to make my home theater disks sound better, bloats or makes 
my music sound brittle and lack depth....one extreme or another.
        So I began adding the $$$ invested thus far, (not for the faint 
hearted) and looking at both options. It actually looks to be a financial 
toss up, unless one insists on Krell gear, etc.
        The only thing that scares me away from the sweet, mellow sounding 
tubes (not the maintenance, care and feeding) is the bass. Although I don't 
speak about it, I really enjoy it. I sometimes intentionally dial up more 
than was there in the original material (especially older material like 60s 
music) because I think it sounds better. On laser disks I LOVE the" shake the 
neighborhood" bass and rumbling like so many of the "thriler" and sci-fi 
movies offer. The tubes just do not offer this. And, a really excellent sub 
would be needed to have that and not loose the advantages of the tubes (if it 
is at all possible). 
        I'll check J&R Music Worlds pricing on those but will be bouncing it 
around for a little while. I have finally decided on a sub. I would have 
loved the sub towers by Kinergenics(sp) but the $4K is just too steep. I 
believe I am going to go with the new Legacy dual 15 @ 400 WPC. It is a hefty 
40 inches by 18 by 15 and 1/2. 
        Oh, BTW, I read where RCA has remastered Victory At Sea. Can't find 
the new version and have not heard it, so I cannot really say how it sounds.
        Are you running any tube gear? What kinds? What would be your first 
choice in an entry level Integrated Amp or Amp/Pre Amp 2 piece? Can the tube 
amps rated at 50 WPC (which I am seeing more and more of) push the larger 
tower speakers to levels needed for difficult music like classical, etc?
        Cheers, John
--- Maximus/2 3.01
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