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!!!
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!!!