Audio research vsi-60 power concerns

In a reasonable size room, you will have NO problems.
Just try to make sure the VSI60 has the newer KT120 tubes
they are now shipping them with because it gave them a bump from 45wpc to 55wpc. These are conservatively rated, and real practical power rating would be closer to 100wpc in real world application. My room is 27x17x10 and I had Vandersteen 2CE Signatures which had sensitivity of 86db/1w. Yours are 89db/1w, which may not sound like much, but yours need HALF the wattage versus mine to achieve the same level.

The VSI60 is a magical amp. Mine has 200 hours. I am going to have to part with it because I just upgraded to Revel Studio2's and they eat juice like crazy so I've gone to 350wpc Pass but am staying with an ARC tube pre. This amp made my Vandersteens come alive with music like no amp before and all the ones before were far more expensive.

Just to give you an idea, here is an iphone video of the VSI60 driving my new power hungry Studio2's in a HUGE room. This amp is not even half broken in yet and the speakers had only 5 hours on them when this was taken. The amp really only runs out of gas at ear bleeding levels.....or on very bass heavy stuff or orchestral works....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AMZ4o9a6O88

Based on your listening and music preferences I would look for an amp with more power. Tube amps when driven to their maximum output have soft clipping which gives the listener the impression that they have more power than their solid state brethren, but in reality, you are listening to a distorted sound.

The B&W 804S specification places the Audio Researches vsi-60 at the minimum standard for amplification, but based on your listening requirements, I feel that you need more power to give you the clean undistorted sound that will satisfy you in the long run.

Will,
What size is your room and what db levels are you listening at?these factors really matter.
If the ARC amp has a very good power supply and transformers it could be just what you want.
I would`nt buy a SS amp just for a stated higher watt output, sound quality is the objective.

I am not suggesting that you go solid state, but when the speaker manufacture's own specs state a minimum power requirement of 50w - 200w coupled with an impedance dip below 3ohms, I get concerned about an integrated tube amps ability to drive the speakers. Typically, one thing that gets sacrificed with integrated tube amps is the quality and size of the output transformers.

We all agree that a mismatched amplifier to speaker combination will not yield long term satisfaction. If you do not have a chance to audition the amp personally, then I would error on more tube power based on your listening criteria and the speaker’s specification.