Tri-amp with stereo SS on bottom / tube monos top

thanks for the feedback.

this article from Cary Audio got me thinking about this:
http://www.caryaudio.com/html/biamping.html

in this example, two identical stereo amps are used. this led me to believe, as your message confirms, that matching the output is critical and if the equipment can't be matched without endless 'add-ons', you've reached the point of deminished, if not no, return.

I've done this quite successfully, in numerous setups, sometimes the amps had variable outputs......I would tune by ear, then fine tune with a rented spectrum analyzer to get it perfectly balanced, surprisingly I did pretty good by ear.
A lot a club PA pro audio systems are designed tri-amped like that. The Grateful Dead's famous "wall of sound" PA was built in this fashion. I've done it both passive and active......one system with no varible output on the amps, had an electronic crossover with volume controls for each amp. You can get the best of both worlds, SS on the bottom & tubes for the mids and highs. My current set up is factory built for that, I have big Genesis speakers, they have their own SS bass or sub amp, then I'm using tubes for the mid ribbons and tweeter ribbons.

Yes This can make for a plesent listening system, I use 2 mac 60's 2 mc-75's and 4 dyna MK-3 along with an old Dyna 400 on the bottom, gains are easy since I use equalizers rather than cross-overs I can also play my Dolby 5.1 system for movies, I use a 100 watt tube amp I constructed for the center channel.
Cross-over's are ok but I'm not wild about the slope of most passive can be done with auto type bullet hi-and low pass in-lines this is for the buget minded.
mark

Great question which I had asked at the new AC BB.

I am having my speaker's put together at present and had to look into it myself.What was said about having an Active Crossover with it external is what I am having done.Just makes plain sense to do it that way and I also would be wary of messing with the stock Crossover's if it were me.

Here is a unit that was shown to me that might help you!The PT-3 is what you need to look at for a 3way Active Crossover.

http://www.ird-thailand.com/products/general_desc.htm#E1specs

I was thinking about getting Tubes also,but I do not think I will go that route.SS amps will be hassle free and I think mixing & matching will be better unless I find people who have knowledge into amp synergy for NEAR M50's and Passive Pre-Amps.

Good luck