Tube Amp Suggestions


I have had the audio affliction for about 10 years. I am finally ready to venture into the world of tube amps and would appreciate any ideas my fellow audiophiles might have. My current set up is theta basic II with a camelot uther IV going directly into a pass labs aleph 5 and audio physic virgo II speakers. All wiring is tara labs air 1. Budget is $2,000 to 3,000 new or used.

Thanks in advance for your thoughts.
sgunther
DIDA.
ATI ss amps???.Do you really put the CARY 805 in the same class with ATI???I know ,I know the distortion is above the minimum standard of 0.1% at 20Hz-20KHz.Start your own audio equipment manufacturing .Teach those guys a lesson.Who are they kidding to sell inferior high distortion generating boat anchors.LOL
Didactically. Pardon me sir, I don't get it: are your ears painted on or what? Or perhaps this is some kind of puzzle?....Ahhhhhh...Now I get it.... a paint by numbers puzzle and I'm supposed to join all the lines together and paint over all the numbers. I just can't seem to find a colour chart number <.005 to paint the ears on the side your square head.
Quote: So why keep clicking on them, taking the trouble to read them, only to further bother to write critical, condescening, and insulting remarks.

Didactically, if you are referring to me, I apologize for any remarks construed to be insulting. Also, I didn't understand your reference "...why keep clicking on them, taking the trouble to read them."

Quote: What is that about.

Again, I am confused as to the context of your questions. I am not sure as to "who" or "what" your questions refer to.

On a different note, how much distortion do your speakers produce? Is it less than your minimum standard of 0.1?
I suspect Didactically is just having a bit of fun with us here. I wouldn't get too worked up over his obviously overstated absolutist position. We all know that what counts is enjoying the music. Time to go fire up those distortion-filled amps (and speakers!) and do some of that.
NO I do not put the Cary amp in the same catagory with ATI. They have too much distortion to qualify. I am trying to get distortion out of my system so I can hear the music instead.

Since discovering do not have to settle for distortion in an amp, I have no incentive to characterize it various poetic terms: 'sweet', 'warm', 'bloom', 'smooth', etc.

Your anchor analogy does fit the album producers. Not much we can do about the inferior sonic quality of so many recordings. Except become selective, which is easy once you actually hear the recording when it is not masked by the system/room setup distortions. That could put some demand on producers to go easy on the mixing console, and require more of incompetant engineering.

Did you know it is more difficult to design ss amps to lower distortion levels than tubes. Makes you wonder, doesn't it. I mean what the market really is for tube equipment. It appears the 'connoisseures of coloration' have it there.

Oh, well. Any discernable difference between the same low distortion in tubes vs ss would be very subtle indeed. Though I would prefer it, if it were availble (with enough power to drive my main panels at least --40w min).