SETs vs. Push/Pull

ProAc 2.5 Response Speakers w/ REL Strata III subwoofer
Placette Passive "Pre-amp"
CEC Transport & Perp Tech w/WrightMod & Bel Canto DAC2
Kimber Kable Select interconnects & speaker wire
Room is 11 x 13.5 x 8high, plaster with solid H/W floor & thick carpet and pad.

I've had the ProAcs for 6.5 years and still love them. Had the Air Tight for 3 years and it's the best SET I've heard but my ProAcs are 86db (but with very easy and stable impedance and very benign phase angle). They work very well with Air Tight 300B (better than my Cary 300B monos) but I need more bass control and overall impact. In the past year and a half I've tried 4-5 different pre-amps, none of which worked very well.

I'm just wondering if anyone out there has found a P/P that's been able to retain the SET magic but with more drive and "guts". Maybe something like a Granite Audio or a Bruce Moore Design amp. Any suggestions or (as I seem to be getting told) should I stick with SETs and try to find something more powerful like maybe something from Art Audio.

By the way, I do love my Air Tight. Not a hiccup in three years although I did quite a bit a rolling the input and rectifier tubes (don't ya just love tube rectification?!?). The damn thing is built like the proverbial battleship.

Oh, by the way, Philefreak, I'd have to get $3,150.00 for the amp (list $6,300.00) but now ya'll got me thinking...

You might check out the VAC amps that use 300B tubes push-pull. Nothing but an SET is going to sound like an SET, but the VAC amps sound pretty darn good.

VAC 30/30, maybe a parallel 845? the mastersound in the classifieds looks good to me...

Tom- I've had both types of systems running at the same time, one at home, and one at work. My 300B SET's are my amp of choice, and have been for some time. Power's never been an issue for me with LaScala's. If you've been listening to SET for that long I sure don't need to tell you about it's strong points. The only thing that push/pull will offer that is different, at least in my experience, is the ability to handle more complex, layered, textured, and or dynamic music, with aplomb. As far as anything else you are likely to listen to, I think you would regret the decision if your priorities lie there. You will loose be loosing a large part of the airiness and holography that SET does so well and so distinctively. I've been more intrigued to hear some of the better OTL designs (Berning, Atma-Sphere) to see what they may have to offer, but that is an expensive endeavor and requires some careful component matching (as does SET). If you are intrigued by P/P why not test the water in a more moderate, less permanent way? A pair of Quicksilver MiniMites can be had for around $700 or less on the used market. Damn fine little amps, and you can sell'em for what you paid for them with no effort too if you don't like them. They will give you a very fine taste of what P/P can do.

Marco

how about trying paul speltz's zero-autoformer first? relatively speaking, the plain zeros are cheap (about $500) compared to swapping amps, and you may discover you don't have to part with your beloved air-tight or proacs.
just a thought