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SS amp for Merlin VSMs?

Is there anyone who has found an SS amp that they prefer to tube amps with their Merlins? I have most recently owned CAT JL2, Atma-spehre M-60, Music Reference RM9 Special Edition and RM10MKII, Quicksilver V4s, and the Ars Sonum integrated (In each and everyone sound terrific with the Merlins). For SS, I did try Pass XA30.5 and First Watt Aleph J, but did not prefer them to my tube amps (I now use Music Reference RM10s - summer; and the Atma-spehere M60s the rest of the year).

So, any great SS sucess stories with the Merlins up against the kind of tube gear I have owned? Or is that just a elusive chase?
pubul57
sounds_real_audio
1,018 posts
 
Paul

You are doing a lot of amp switching considering how you love the Merlins. Are you trying to get more out of them?

Jim
pubul57 OP
3,712 posts
 
I don't think anything will sound better than the Atma-sphere with the Merlins (maybe Joule VZNs), so getting more out of them is not the goal. I would like to have a no fuss SS amp that I can use in the summer, without feeling like I've taken a big step down from the Atma-sphere. Prior to that I thought the CAT JL2 were fanatastic, but they generated even more heat than the M60s. Unfortuanatley I suspect that I will need Class A SS to be satisfied and that gives off a lot of heat as well. Looking back, I should have kept the Aleph Js. The amp Bobby P recommeded was the BEL 1001, but not easy to come by, and anyting but the MKV is getting a bit old on the capacitors.
samac's avatar
samac
499 posts
 
Check out the Sugden A21a or anything in the Sugden line.
glide3
402 posts
 
I have owned the Merlin VSM's in a couple iterations and I have owned the two amps I am going to suggest...but I have not owned them together (amps and speakers) so my suggestions are based on educated guess as opposed to real experience.

The Bel 1001 MkV would likely be a good choice as Bobbie suggests...very good amp.
The Stellovox PW-1's would as well IMO....perhaps even better than the Bel.

I have used the Stellovox with many speakers that were only supposed to work well with tube amps and the Stellavox has been excellent in each case.

This of course does not assure that they will sound good with the Merlin, but if I were a betting man....

I have heard that the Golmund SRM 125 mono's are at least as good as the Stellovox but I have not heard them or owned them and they are rare and more expensive than the Stellovox.
pubul57 OP
3,712 posts
 
The Stellovox looks very interesting and I had never heard of it before. Might be problematic with tube and or passive linestages with its very low input impedance. The Sugden is one of that amps (as an integrated) that I have been very interested in, but not sure anyone has actually used them with Merlins, nevertheless they seem to be well thought of. LFD MKIII or IV also on my short list for consideration.
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