I've always liked EL34's and this Amp-1 didn't disappoint. You pay serious money for solid state that sounds this good, and I'm not talking about soft, lush stuff. I talking about honest netural repoduction with no added artifacts. I don't know who said these components sounded like solid state, but they are way off. They bring the best out of the music.
Strings sound silky smooth.
The midrange is the best area, followed by detailed, but not bright highs. The bass is a little wooly, but deep and full. Soundstaging is very good, with a sense of space and depth around the performers. Live recordings really show the ambience. I have used it with ProAcs, Totems and Viennas.