Calling Aerial 20T owners

I'm using Mc with my Aerials after trying Krell, Marantz, and MF. I had the HF issue as well. I think it had as much to do with the source at is did with the amp. The McIntosh fixed the problem and they make beautiful music now that I can sit and listen to for hours. Never could do that before. Of course try first. The laid back sound of Mc is not to everyone's taste. I think the 20Ts are going to take some power. I briefly hooked up my Cary 120S to my Aerials and while they sounded fine the umph just wasnt' going to be there and I didn't want to push the Cary.

I remember thinking the same thing about the Bass when I decided to buy mine. At the time I had a 200 watt SS amp which I knew would be under powered but deep bass has never really been my thing. When I got them they still sounded great but I kept picking things out that I didn't like. The drivers didn't integrate as well as I thought they should, the bass was low and "there" but not as defined as it should have been, and the sound stage rarely if ever got outside of the speakers which caused too many sounds to be localized on the speaker (as a former Avalon owner I hate that). Then I got some really well powered monoblocks (350 wpc) and the sound really improved. The bass tightened up, and everything was just so much more together. But the soundstaging really didn't improve much and the speakers didn't disappear. Then when I went to my current set up it all snapped into place. No integration issues, soundstage is wide and deep, and they just totally disappear. The more laid back amps have a sound that is a good fit as my monoblocks were highly resolving which was a bit too much of a good thing. Depending on the power of the Pass amps I think that will at least tell you if your problem is related to an equipment mismatch as opposed to a room issue. If it's not a room issue I would encourage you to go the route I have or similar as they really are awesome. Anyway I hope sharing my experiences will help you.

Disclaimer :I an a dealer for both companies ... I run my 20 Ts to great success with the Conrad Johnson Lp 1P 140 monoblocs. I have heard the 20Ts with many ss amps and there are some wonderful combinations to be sure . That said , I wouldnt trade this combination .

thanks to all of your input, I will continue to optimize my system while locating a powerful solid state to experiment. if solid state is the answer, not sure what I will do though...

Given your Einstein gear, I would consider the Parasound JC-1 monoblocks, which are a truly differential balanced design. I think they are one of the tiny handful of high-powered solid-state designs that is truly great sounding. In addition, their price / performance / build quality ratio is off the charts due to offshore manufacturing.

As for tube amps, perhaps the obvious choice is the CAT monoblocks, which have the best output transformers and largest power supplies I am aware of in regular production tube amps. My VAC Renaissance 140's can also drive 1-2 Ohm loads and would also work well, but they will not have the oomph of the CAT's, which are 192 lb. snarling beasts that were designed to drive the 83 db. efficient, impedence-psychotic MBL 101's. The downside to the CAT's is the need for very carefully selected output tubes that can withstand the hotrod circuit (my friend nicknamed his JL-1's the "popcorn popper" for what it could do to output tubes). The JL-1 Limited Edition is the best iteration of these amps, featuring all point-to-point wiring (later versions used boards) and output transformers that weigh something like 55 lbs. each - they retailed for $50k and can now be found for $12k-$13k used because people don't know what they are.

I find the bass to be a bit plummy on the V1, and as a consequence, the Parasound or the CAT monoblocks, both of which exert tremendous control in the face of tough loads, would be smart choices.