[ChJL]

whereas the bottom end on the Erco really adds bass weight and impact.

hmm... having owned HypsOor and assuming that is superior to the Erco across the board I'm surprised about that. Don't know about SS vs SET bass characteristics though.
Even more so that since I switched from X26pro/HypsOor to AGD I never missed Ferrum set up.
Without a solid foundation (=bass), quality over quantity things don't stand strong imo.
That's my challenge "find tube amp on same, hopefully higher level" then current SS set up...

 

[ardbeg1975]

hmm... having owned HypsOor and assuming that is superior to the Erco across the board I'm surprised about that. Don't know about SS vs SET bass characteristics though.
Even more so that since I switched from X26pro/HypsOor to AGD I never missed Ferrum set up.
Without a solid foundation (=bass), quality over quantity things don't stand strong imo.
That's my challenge "find tube amp on same, hopefully higher level" then current SS set up...

I cannot speak to the Caldera pairing of the other Icon owner as I no longer own a Caldera but I find the Final (and its bass) to perform very well on the Icon. It is true the amp imparts a very open soundstage with great treble and mid presence. Unlike many other amp pairings, the mid and upper bass are not as (over)emphasized in the mix. Very clear and detailed but not bloomy. The sub-bass is excellent with a lot of excursive punch and rumble. I can see how some may describe the bass as leaner than some other tube or SS amps but I would counter that the bass overall is great and not lean to me but instead that the amp’s lower end emphasis is more on sub-bass / slam / rumble than the more typical mid-bass focus.