Powerful Tube Amp for SF Strads?


I am looking for recommendations for a powerful tube amp for my Strads. A powerful tube amp which truly excels at palpability, musicality but also has very good bass control (though bass control is not as 'mission critical' to me as palpability).

My current amp (see below) sounds great to my ears!...but runs out of steam much too soon.

My system today:

Zanden 5000S DAC
CJ Act 2
CJ MV60 (EL 34 tube)
SF Strads (4ohms, 92db sensitivity though impedence does dip to 2.5ohms)
Velodyne DD-18 (run in parallel)
Transparent Ref/Ref XL cabling throughout
Purist Audio Dominus PC

In addition to recommendations, any thoughts are welcome on Wavac, Audio Note, Zanden, VTL, CJ LP275...or monoblocking MV60 (EL34)? Thanks!

Lloydelee21
lloydelee21
I have heard the Mac 275's in mono with the SF Elipsa's and it was truly beautiful. With the Strads, I would think the Mac 2301's a better choice.
The Art Audio quartet monoblock are hook up with the
Andra I Eggleston,the power is more than enough,and they
excel in palpability, and musicality,they have good bass
too.You can email Joe Fratus from Art audio.You can also
email Markr1,who own the system,Ive heard.
Thanks for the further responses and advice! Mechans - that is consistent with i am starting to learn about tubes and amps in general. Yes, there is something about watts, but it is both current and voltage which matter. (e.g., there are some great and powerful sounding low wattage tube amps...high current designs.) I will try to check out the Wavacs this weekend.
Jamnesta/Jmpwme - spoke with Downunder who owns the strads and the 2102s. Jayctoy - will email Markr1...thanks!
The nice thing about the Mac tube amps is that you can run them on 2ohm taps, 4 ohm taps or 8ohm taps. Parallel or bridge them and they can run at full power into loan from 1ohm to 16ohms. The ACT 2 will drive them fine as well.

I run my 2xMC2102's parallel into 2 ohms at the moment at they sound great.

Running a quality subwoofer allows one to have that little bit of SS slam and extension without any of the drawbacks.

personally I could not see dartzeel power amp controlling the Strads very well, from memory they don't like driving low impedance loads .
SS amps don't really gel with the Strads IMO. I will howver be trying the enigmatic Arye MX-R's in a couple of weeks.

That said I would luv to hear the CAT tube amp.
Thanks Downunder,

Yes, i agree. Earlier SF's and modern SF's (other than Homage series) mated well with good SS like Krell. But the Guarneris, Amatis and Strads seem imho to mate much better with Tubes.

I auditioned the Strad with ARC CD7, ARC Ref 3 and Krell Evo 402...don't get me wrong. i heard some pretty incredible sound, and the 402 is one heck of an amp. I guess i missed that absolute palpability that the STrad is capable of producing (but which also typically requires a tube to get the full measure of that palpability in my experience so far.)

Meanwhile, I heard the Evo 402 with the Grand Pianos and other SFs...outrageously good synergy.

then again...have heard the Ayres are pretty incredible in palpability! Pls let us all know how the Ayres do with the Strads! thanks.