+++1 I own the Aric Audio Super preamp and Transcend amplifier. I encourage you to talk to Aric Kimball.
Tube amps under $7500
Ready to experiment with combinations never before (or not recently) tried. Step one requires a tube amp. Now looking at Prima Luna EVO 400 which sells for 5K. Any other tube amps I should consider in this price/feature range? Must come in silver with balanced input. For pairing experimentally with various tube and SS preamps. Efficient 4 ohm Legacy speakers (and the room/setup) are the constants.
- ...
- 210 posts total
| Post removed |
If the requirement for balanced design limits choices to much, I would ditch that criterion. There are MUCH more important things at play than the relatively trivial advantage of balanced design. You do need to somehow hear various amps and make a choice entirely on the sound, not on any specific design choice, topology, type of tube utilized, etc. There are a number of suggestions made above that are based on sound and disregarding your balanced criterion that you should use to make your target list. Way back in this thread, a dealer who sells Legacy mentioned the Synthesis amps he also sells. If you can, you should get to hear their amps even if the black color is out of the question because their amps are great examples of warm sounding tube gear that is also punchy, alive, dynamic, and clear sounding all at the same time. That will set a tough to beat mark, but, I think you will agree it is a worthy standard; I have not met anyone who has heard their amps that did not like the sound a lot. I know someone who traded in two month old $60k amps for a pair of their $18k monoblocs. I like the monoblocs, but they are really only slightly better than their $8500 integrated amp that includes a fantastic DAC. Some pretty exotic DACs have been traded in for Synthesis DACs; they do know how to make those things well too. |
I recently replaced my ST100 “Dark,” which is an excellent amplifier, with a pair of monobloc Odyssey Kismet amps, and I am exceptionally pleased. Used with my Rogue RP-7 preamp, I think the solid state amps give me better bass response, especially at lower volume levels, better tonal qualities, and better soundstage and imaging. At least with my Fyne F702 speakers. |
@mike4597 Equivalent bass response has been my primary concern with the low-mid-level tube amps I am exploring. The behemoth tube monoblocks can definitely go low with realism, but I will never be in the market for those. |
- 210 posts total