You shouldn't listen to valves/tubes.
It's long been known they are rubbish.
In many respects they are.
But you have to sit there and listen.
Then, somehow, all the faults seem acceptable.
It is curious, I agree, but for me it does seem to be true.
Just spent a month on post #1 of this thread.
Those EML AD1s ring like fuck. Forget pre and post ring. They just ring like fuck. Bad boys, no question.
Like your fave sounding fucked up scratched to shit record, hard not to love when you compare them to other stuff because they really are ace sounding at times, even with all obvious flaws being apparent.
Time for a roll now, though.
All comments in post #1 still stand.