Tenor amp / Coincident Total Victory combo

I just purchased a quad of the new run of KR Audio 300b BXLS's.

This is a stunning tube upon first listen. As much bass as my ProAc Response 2 has ever put out, and highs that I didn't know I could hear. I have only listened to an Annie Lennox CD so this is a very preliminary observation. The Atma-Sphere M60's I heard a while ago with this speaker is still a bit better. Something about being more open and alive. I think this goes back to my observation that I am an OTL kind of guy. Having said that I am still hoping the Total Victory's mate well with the 300b's. This will allow me to keep my SET. I am going to try and keep an open mind.

I have the Tenor 15 WI mono's with the TV's and they are a great combo.

Here's another suggestion. Israel has the new Canary CA-339, and says it's one of the best amps he's heard on the Total Victories. Canary apparently agrees, because they've ordered 4 sets of TVs from him, and have told me this amp/speaker combo is a "perfect match". They're pricey ($13K), and they're push-pull, but they are 300B amps. You may never need their 50 wpc power, but according to Israel the dynamics re superb.

BTW - I agree with your assessment of the KR 300BXLS. My Wavelengths came with new WE's, and I prefer the KR tubes. Any 300B amp I get will eventually wind up tubed with KRs.

Here's an update on my quest for amps to drive the TVs.

I took Israel's word for it and ordered a pair of the Canary CA-339 monos. They came with EH 300B's, and I've retubed with KR 300BXLS. All I can say is wow!. They have really kept all the 300B magic in a p-p topology. They're easily as musical as a good SET, and way more than some! The sound has a completeness in every respect that it utterly beguiling. They have effortless dynamics, very deep realistic bass (not tight, not loose, just fully resolved bass down to the limits of the speakers and room), black backgrounds, super low noise, a very smooth top end with the KR tubes, totally convincing image and staging, and superb unforced resolution right across the spectrum. They have the most realistic sound I've ever heard from an amp.

I've also been using the deHavilland Aries 845G monos, also retubed with KR power tubes. These are lovely amps for acoustic/vocal/small string ensembles. There's a warmth and completeness to the midrange that feels like wrapping up in a blanket with a hot buttered rum on a cold winter day. Just gorgeous. The high end is smooth and very sweet - solo violin is ravishing - but is a touch rolled off. They have higher electrical and mechanical noise levels than the Canaries. They can't match the Canaries' dynamics, transparency, resolution or imaging. The bass is noticeably rolled off, but this may have something to do with an impedance mismatch - the amps I got are wired for 4 ohms, and the speakers are nominally 10 (8 ohm wiring is a factory option). They're really nice amps, especially for that certain class of music, but fuill-range dynamic speakers like the TVs highlight some if their shortcomings.

The Canary CA-339 is the clear winner, easily outdistancing the other amps I've tried. It's the first amp I've found that satisfies both my Dr. Jekyll music-lover and my Mr. Hyde audiophool. People with total Victories should hear these if they can. They're pricey, but IMO they're worth it.

FWIW, if I can chip in, the M-60 (and our other amps as well) have changed a bit over the last few months and years. You might try out a later set, or get the older set updated.

See also:http://www.soundstage.com/revequip/atmasphere_ma2ii3.htm

While these comments are regarding the MA-2, the changes that brought that to fruition apply to the smaller amps as well. Israel developed the concepts that fuel his speaker lineup on an older set of M-60s.