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"Warm Sounding" Solid State Amplifiers

As a Canadian I am naturally a huge fan of Bryston products but not long ago I switched things up for a NAD C355BEE integrated amp and instantly realized what I had been missing in terms of warmth, sweetness and overall pleasant sound.

I'm interested in moving up from there into some Class A or A/B amps but I don't know of any other warm sounding Solid State amps other than Pass Labs which are out of my price range at the moment.

Tubes are obviously "where it's at" as they would say but the maintenance factor is somewhat of a deterrent for me. Should I just go for an M series NAD amp or is there another intermediate product between that and Pass Labs??
pontifex
digsmithd
913 posts
 
My modwright kwi 200 has some nice warmth to it...
digsmithd
913 posts
 
I find my modwright kwi 200 has a nice warmth to it....

There is a nice pass class 30 watter here/could take some solvent to try and remove the goo that's around power light.

(The things people do?)
digsmithd
913 posts
 
Nice pass class a thirty here...For the life of me I don't know why people do what he did???...anyway's I digress...I find my modwright kwi 200 has nice warmth to it.
theduke
372 posts
 
I changed my mind. Earlier I posted that the Bedini BA-801 is the most tube-like amplifier I've ever heard.
Nope, not anymore. My recently acquired Audio Research 100.2 takes the prize. Not even close, the 100.2 exudes warm bass, vivid vocals, and sweet highs. Nothing soggy, bloated or ill-defined, it just has a lot of that tube magic. I'm keeping the Bedini because it's good, real good. But the ARC 100.2 surpasses it in every way. No wonder they're in such demand!
duc368
2 posts
 
Before considerations of "warm", what about things you are sensitive to in a negative sense?  SS amps with low measured THD but relatively high levels of odd order harmonics?  Hate them.

Tube amps with sloggy, lazy, rotten tomato being hit by a mallet bass?  Hate them.

Also any amp that has colorations in one band but not another?  Hate them too.

So outside of frightfully expensive tubes - they are out for me (in amps, not pre-amps or DACs).  Retubing amps with any sort of top shelf  tube gets very expensive as well.

So, first wipe that type of thing off of your list (things you don't liek).  Are you keeping your speakers a long time?   Good.  What do others say works well with them - good way to start a listening list.

Warm?  Class A, Class A->AB, fets - I think most of your warm amps that are not tubes will be found to have one or more of these traits.  My amp is a Pass X-150, got the A->AB and the right sort of transistors.  Clean, fast, of one piece from top to bottom, depth, accurate with a bit of sweetness, lots of current, will drive ML's, Maggies, even Duettas.  I found mine, hopefully you'll find yours.
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