I returned to vocals which came out so well on the Prince album plus a whole range of Rock and Blues which I left for the final stage of my A75 assessment. I focused on them because many people insist that Rock fans must have solid-state amplifiers while I know from experience how perfectly well tube amps can play such music. After all, even in such music the midrange is key to success. Not just voices but electric guitars even synthesizers play mostly in the midrange. The Hungarian, although no SET, saturated and filled the midrange with colours and presence better than most silicon-based competitors. Thanks to this, Slash, Joe Perry, Angus Young or Steve Ray Vaughan's guitars were properly powerful, meaty and energetic and when it came to solos, the Qualiton covered them in an effortless, precise and at times even thrilling fashion.

Vocals were equally good. Powerful, charismatic and appropriately rough for these genres, they were brilliantly differentiated and invited me to sing along. One track turned into playing a whole album, then another. As with any other musical genre, the Qualiton combined all recorded elements into a coherent whole despite technical imperfections of most such recordings. Yet despite its high-fidelity approach, it was no brutal destroyer of lesser recordings. It forgave minor problems or mastering sloppiness by focusing more on the emotions. This engages the listener easily to remain fun even on non-audiophile productions. Contrary to stereotypes, a good tube amplifier like today's Qualiton is an excellent choice not just for Jazz, intimate vocals and small ensembles but also for Rock and Blues.

This was my first domestic encounter with a Qualiton product. While hifi shows provide no reliable basis for a serious assessment of presented hardware, they can still offer a hint. Each showing of hORNS speakers with this Hungarian amplification had always been from good to sometimes very good. Several weeks with the Qualiton A75 integrated in my room confirmed that it is a really fine and versatile tube component which defies many stereotypes and turns listening to music into an authentic emotional experience.

Excellent dense smooth midrange – check!
Brilliant vocals, very good resolution and lots of detail presented in a non-intrusive cohesive way – check!
Above-average soundstaging to create the impression of performer presences – check!
Pure open airy treble– check!
Somewhat soft but colourful well-differentiated bass – check!

Somehow contrary to stereotypes, these expected aspects were complemented by high energy and very good PRaT, with enough midrange intensity to go beyond small-scale Jazz to Rock, Blues and the wildest of electric guitars. While the bass was admittedly gently rounded, it's well differentiated and controlled enough to make not only the showdowns of double bass players but e-bass guitarists and drummers able to raise a room's temperature. Equally important, the max power output was sufficient to drive many loudspeakers beyond the usual tube-friendly contingent. Try it out. You should find it well worth it!