i have the bottlehead crack. i also have a darkvoice and a popular hybrid tube amp in another room. my main solid state amp is usually the a90. could i tell the difference between a crack and the a90? yes.

the tube amp wasn’t meant to be as clear or clinical, but rather colorful and warm. i can tell right off the bat the tubes are not as clear, it has a slight haze to the treble but in exchange the sound is slightly wider like the sound fills the space a little bit more. the mids and the bass is slightly more dynamic and it’s just more appealing to listen to for pop/dance/r&b and a few other bassy types of music. it’s more of a chill listening experience rather than the analytical and pristine sound of a solid state which can sometimes sound a little sterile. it all depends on the genre and the recording and then what mood i’m in. for ease of use, i usually just use solid state as it doesn’t heat up enough to warm up my room or become a fire hazard, potentially. the novelty of tubes and the fun it brings is something everyone should try but in my opinion, don’t waste your time with hybrids. if you want the full tube experience, try otl. try it. yes, don’t buy it just find someone who has it and demo it because it’s not for everyone. and at least if they’re already down that rabbit hole of tube rolling, they can show you the extremes of going tube to solid state so you can decide for yourself if there’s a difference.