Any SS class A experience to share?

Hi Dud,

Last month, I auditioned many solid state amps in an effort to replace my ARC CA50. My purpose was to simplify ergonomics and lowering maintenance without sacrifice to sound quality.

I narrowed down to two amps, Aleph 3 and Gaincard. Currently, I am favoring the Gaincard. With the Aleph, I am using a digital preamp between the transport and dac.

Speakers I am using are KEF 103/4, Tannoy DMT10 and a pair of Silverline is on the way.

Hey Viggen, I recall that thread...are you still messin' round?! Which Silverlines are you getting? I recently got an Aleph 5 for my work system and am pretty amazed at how tube-like the sound is. It's not tubes, but it has its own nice qualities that makes up for what it is lacking. Still, when I get home to those SET's I am back in heaven! I must say the Aleph is really impressing me though! Never heard SS sound so good. I'm running it through Silverline SR-17's and that combination is like liquid butter! I'd like a bit more efficiency from the speakers if I were in a larger space though. For small spaces I couldn't ask for more.

Viggen, Do the Aleph 3 and Gaincard sound similar?

Hey Jax,

What front ends and cables are you using in your work system? I got the SR 11 to match with the Gaincard actually. I am really leaning towards the Gaincard and thought to tinker with the rest of my system around it. But, good thing I didn't sell the Aleph yet, as you seem to like the aleph/sr combo very much.

But, I do think the Gaincard is superior to the Aleph in every conceivable way. And, I do believe the Gaincard can be even improved with better front end, whereas, the Aleph isn't as dependent in terms of what components are upstream. The Aleph will throw similarly wide soundstage with mellow midrange with any cd player. This answers your question, Bud?

I read in Audioasylum that the gaincard is a mix between a Naim and a SET amp. I've never heard either. But, from what I read about Naim and SET, I would have to disagree. I think the gaincard is like a Naim and SET low/hi-biwired.
Catch my drift?

Hi Viggen- the work system is pretty plain: Rega Planet 2000 on the front end. Cables are mostly silver. Stealth CWS IC's and DH Labs Q-10 Speaker cables. The DH Labs are outright bargains and I use them on the home system as well. The Aleph 5 is 60 wpc, so is essentially twice the power of your Aleph 3, so I cannot say that our experiences will be identical, but I take it the essential charachter of the two amps are quite similar sonicly. Can't comment on the SR-11 either as I haven't heard it and it is an altogether different speaker than the SR17. I went to a monitor speaker because I will likely have to move the system into my office (a smaller room). But it is currently running in 1200 SF with 11 foot ceilings and I find myself yearning for a bit more punch from the speakers at times. The combination is really smooth though, and quite musical. I may sell the SR17's to go back to the horn speakers I so love in my home system. I wonder how the Aleph would sound with horns. SS and horns is a combination I normally would reject on principal, but having heard what the Aleph does with the SR-17's it has me very curious.