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Can tube amps give true high end bass?

I got the giant Silverline Grande La Folia speakers. They are really good and true high end in my opinion. They are efficient ca 93Db but got for bass 4 x 9,5´ dynaudio woofers in each cabinet. I have tried 2 tube amps with them: Antique Sound Labs monos 2x60w and a protype VERY good 2x40W with El34 tubes (more about that amp in a later tread). And I have tried 2 transistor amps: An Ayre V1xe and Krell 450mcx monos. All givin very good sound in the mids and heigths BUT very different in bass. In my opinion the best bass was from the tube amps. Powerful deep bass!!

My dealer clames that such big speakers need a lot of power to control the 8 woofers: You must have several 100W i.e. tranistor or BIG tube amps like big VTL. With the "small" tube amps, that you have tried, the woofers get out of control and "pumping" air in an incorrect way. This movement in the woofers gives sound on it own that you only THINK is good bass!

Beeing an audiophile for 30 years I think I can determine when I hear good bass. But I am puzzled! -How can a 40W tube amp give better bass that Krell 450 monos?
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ulf OP
103 posts
 
Thanks all for your imput. I learned a bit more!!
The old "fact" that you need big transistor amp to get solid deep bass seems gone.My Silverline speakers seems to love tubes, especially in the low bass!

My McIntosh c220 (tube)/ Ayre V1xe are really good but that "prototype" tube amp (integrated 2x40W)has left me no rest and I have know asked the constructor to build a full finished amp.I report back when it is in my system.
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