hi ian
many thanks for your input and views,its very helpful to get that from someone who has had plenty of experience with the subject matter being discussed here.
i totally agree with you regarding describing sonic qualities to someone,its so ears and system/room/tastes dependent but i think you had a good stab at it with the red wine analogy,more so as i so love said red wine
ive decided the best plan is to try and get hold of a 306 as cheap as possible and try for myself,as you point out,its the only way to really know(plus i just love trying different stuff)and hence my wanted ad.
the avi amp i have has pre-outputs which should help me no end,but if a 306 can be run with a passive pot then im sure i can knock one of them up quickly to.
now i just need to strike lucky and hopefully find and get one
very much appreciate the response once again,and never said it earlier..great pictures and gear...timeless.

regards
paul