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 agree with Raquel. There is unlikely to be a tube amplifier with the drive and current of a CAT, but I also agree that they are much like a Ferrari (a Cobra) too, they are super high performance, but they are not drop in and forget'em amps. But they are hard to beat for one of the very best sounding amps you will ever hear, espcially when you need High Watt SS bass with SET midrange delicacy. I would like fuse protection for tube failures, but then it wouldn't be a CAT.
I had some Manley Neo Classic 250's driving my Eidolons effortlessly. Or some hard to find MFA mono's.
Thanks for the further posts! I read a review in this month's issue of HiFi+ about the new David Berning Quadature Z 200w OTL tube monos. They went crazy in the review, saying it was hands down the best amp they had ever heard, effectively redefining their view on musicality, muscle and refinement.

David Berning Zh270 has a very loyal following, and i remember reading in STereophile (Jan 05) that Franco Serblin of Sonus FAber had Stereophile at the factory, listening to a ZH270 running the SF Strads.

Any thoughts on the new Quadature Z's would be welcome! i have contacted the company and will post if i find a way to hear them. thanks.