from a Krell SS- FPB 600 to What Tube Amp ?

Macallam25: I agree with EssentialAudio that before making a move on an amp you need to settle on speakers. That being said, I made it a point to find a speaker that matched well to my Joule Grand Marquis OTL's because IMO these amps were "keepers" after going thru a lot of gear.

Rkuryl:On the Kubala-Sosna cables, don't think twice about getting them. They are superb and I agree with everything Macallan25 has in his post. I've owned Transparent Refrence MM, Valhalla's and many of the other "super cables" and the the KS Emotive cables are the best I've used. They have the transparency of the Valhalla's with the bottom end weight of Transparent withouty the muddiness.

Best of luck.

Have you guys tried any of the Kubala-Sosna cables lower on their line? I'm wondering how they compare to other cables in each price range.

Thanks,

Rob

Rkuryl: I've only tried the Emotive Series. My dealer has told me the other Series are price/performance leaders. I'd
highly recommend finding a dealer that will let you take a "test drive".

I gave up my Krell FPB 200 for VTL 300 Deluxe Mono Blocks. Yes, I do miss the bass SLAM from time to time but for me tubes do it just right.

Current System:
CAL Alpha/Delta
VTL 2.5
VTL 300's

Good Luck
Allan

I think you wanted a response to your question, and here it is.

The most potent tube amp I am aware of is the CAT JL-1 monoblocks. They are only rated at 100 watts per channel, but the figure is meaningless, as they have outrageous power supplies and output transformers (that convert voltage to current in a way that make the amp competitive, power-wise, with large SS amps).

Ken Stevens, CAT's principal, used to A/B these amps at shows against a 600 watt/channel Krell -- the Krell allegedly sound neutered by comparison.

The amps weigh 194 lbs. each unboxed, much of which is the beastly transformers. There is a "Limited Edition" version of the amps that retailed for $50,000, which has outrageous parts quality and sound purity. The regular version listed for $20,000.

I have VAC 140 monoblocks, and because of the same design approach of beefy power supplies and high-quality output transformers, they too, on a reduced scale compared to the CAT monos, can drive current-hungry speakers. They weigh 115 lbs. each unboxed. A good salesman I know at Singer said that the VAC 140's do a much better job of driving the Pipedreams than the VTL 750's.

With tube amps, the ability to deliver current, which they do not do well because tube amps produce voltage, not current, comes down to the quality of the transformers and power supplies. Another high-current tube amp is the Audio Valve Challenger 400, a German-made amp. There is also an Air Tight limited edition monoblock design that is very high current (it also costs $60K).

Good luck.