Actually, the tubes amplified. My point in that exercise was to see if an excellent ear could detect the transistors. The ears failed. They failed because I used good design principles for the transistor applications. This is the kind of guy that claims that if I put a cathode bypass cap in the circuit, then cut it loose at the tube socket leaving only the ground connection, it still affects the sound. Technically, yes. There are a couple of puffs between the cut wire and the tube socket, but can you perceive it? I say, If a house fly lands on an aircraft carrier, will it change the way the engine noise radiates through the deck plates? Technically, yes, but can you perceive it? I just had to know if the almighty ear could detect active transistors in the signal path if they were properly designed. So, hooray for buzzwords, but testing in a real world will reveal the truth. I don't argue with the musician. He's as bull headed as anybody I know. I just slip in the transistors and don't tell him.