Better Amps For Talon Khorus CAT JL2 or Tenor 75?

After reading this thread, and many others on the Talons, it's obviously a credit to their design that they present an easy high efficiency load, which offers the their owners an opportunity to get good result from a wide range of amps. I'll bet in a smaller room, Talons with Tenor's 75 watts cook.

I didn't get a chance to go to CES, but a friend from Maui went. He got to hear the Firebirds, which he described as
a interesting speaker,in need of a good 300+ watt/channel amp to make it rock.

In the Firbird's price range, maybe they should offer a biamp version, so the deep pocket folks can run their exisitng Tenor OTLs on the top and Tenor's new 300 watt monos on the bass. Or for $10K more, how about a set of Gamut S600Ms. I'll bring the kava.

Aloha.

I have recently tried an Aloia 15.01 amp that is "rated" at 70 watts but has an inductive power supply that weighs about 70lbs with my Khorus speakers. I have heard the Pass X350 as well as Alchemist 200 watt dual mono class A amp which I own. All good combos. The Aloia has the best PRAT of all of these amps. Maybe not the end all in dynamics or extreme volume or the lushest/warmest (Pass) but in most areas the best sounding amp I have heard to date on my speakers. My Alchemist for info is the limited edition that retailed for aprox 8k. I am having a hard time deciding between the two...leaning toward the Aloia...Must listen to this amp. It is definatily a "sleeper" and probably one of the best values in amps out there. Very fast punchy bass,smooth mid range, almost tube like, and an ability to pull things out of recordings that I have never heard. Articulation throughout!! And transient speed-wow! Like live music. Not your "old man sound though". Just right if your like live music. The Talon line LIKES high current! Does not have to be high power so I have found though. But who relly knows haw much wattage the Aloia really has? Try it-you will like it...

I have had good success with ASL Hurricanes. These 200 watt a channel tubed amps, with the right tubing, have exceptionally deep and controled bass. They also have a magical midrange. If you haven't you should read the review by Harry Pearson on www.theabsolutesound.com website.

They match very well with the Khoruses, my current speaker. You get the bloom and three dementionality of a great tube amp with a very solid bottom end.

I had both the older version (MIT caps) moded by Israel Blume and the latest version (new grey green PIO metal can caps). The newer version is my preference.

A word of advice - you must replace the stock tubes to get any where near the capablities of these amps.

I replaced the power tubes with the new Electo-Harmonix KT-88s. The new version come with the Value Arts which are good. The EHs are vastly superior. I encourge you visit this web site:

www.hometheaterhifi.com/volume_9_2/power-tube-comparison-6-2002.html.

Jason gives a great discription of the various 6550 and KT-88s.

Next, I replaced the driver tubes (the orignals are Chinese copy of the metal based Slyvania 6SN7 Ws). Here I have tried just about every NOS 6SN7 there are (notable exception the NUs)and even a set of Mullard ECC32s. Here is a list: Slyvania 6SN7W (Metal base & black base both short and tall),WGA, WGT, Tall boys , VT-231, 52s, Kenrads VT-231, dark and clear glass, Tung-sols Vt-231 grey glass, RCA VT-231 grey glass.
Hear is the best combination I have herad yet RCA VT-231 Grey Glass in position 1, Sly metal base in position 2 ,and Tung-sol Grey glass in position 3.

The sound improvement is unbelieveable. Same tonal neutrality with major improvements in resolution, imaging depth and width of sound staging, three dementionality. More extended on top, and much more extended in the bottom.

Before you judge these amps you have to hear them with at least a decent set of NOS drivers.

The addition of top gun power chords and a set of richard greys also helped overall, but no where near the NOS and Power tube upgrades.

I have had no reliablity problems.

For the $4400 these amps cost, they are a steal. They have beaten amps priced five times as much! I can see why some people who have $20,000 amps are a little testy about some of the positive reviews these amps have recieved.

Enjoy!!!

I have listened to Tenors + Khorus X MKII system and found them to be a great match. We listen to quite loud jazz, pop and acoustical music and the Tenors showed no sign of sweating at all. More than enough power to drive Khorus.

The system is very involving and warm. Great!

I haven't heard either amp on the speaker in question, but I once had a chance to compare the two amps on another speaker (the new Cheskey speaker) and I can tell you that the JL2 outperformed the Tenor by a huge marin. Most obvious was that despite the JL2s warmer sound (versus the Tenors slightly hard and forward sound - especially when pushed) the JL2 was far more transparent. Also the JL2 seemed to have MUCH more power, more so than the small difference in the specs would indicate. The Tenor sounded like it was clipping at modest levels - but perhaps it was just getting overly stressed out by the speaker load - although the speaker is supposedly easy to drive. Bass was also superior in the JL2 - but nobody ever bought an OTL for the bass! Some people thought that the Tenor had better highs - but I thought that it was a bit tinkly and that the JL2 actually had a more natural sound in the highs as well as everywhere else.