Thanks for the impressions, Paul. Were you using stock tubes or are aftermarkets ones almost always required in order to get good sound out of the amp? I have a modest collection of headphones (HD600/T1) so i was wondering if the Cary would be overkill or otherwise.
Current Cary 300SEI ships with Genalex Gold Lion 300B, they are excellent for classical, ensembles and jazz. Vocals are sweet, especially female voices.
They are not as detailed as some higher priced 300B like Emission Labs. When I bought my 300SEI back in the 90s, they shipped with Western Electric 300Bs.
The sound from these <$200 a pair Gold Lions are similar to the WE 300Bs.
No, Cary 300SEI is not overkill. From time to time, Cary sells direct the 300SEI at a great discount.