The Wright Sound WPA-3.5 starts to compress, when the going gets tough. But the biggest negative was the lack of control in the bass range. Otherwise, the treble was vivid (with the Sovtek 2A3), and the mids were magical.
The Conrad-Johnson MV-55 had good soundstage depth. But it could have used more "pop" to drums, and greater treble bloom and sparkle.
The Conrad-Johnson MV-60SE was terrible. While it had better bass control than the other two amps above, it was simply lifeless.
In some ways, the little Decware Taboo sounded the best. If I didn't look at the rack, I could have sworn that a really nice solid state amp were playing. If you listen to popular music at sane levels, the Taboo has juuuuuust enough juice. But if you listen to classical music, what with its dynamics, you'll need something with more power.
There are myriad tube amps to choose from, and I'm sure that, in the right setups, one could work well with the Thiel CS2.4.
-Lummy The Seahorse
