Mikel, the Vitus SM-101 mono's were $50k back in 2007 & are way more powerful than their power figures suggest. Vitus measure their amps in "true RMS" and quote power outputs conservatively. Those amps will control any real world speaker load you throw at them.
Vitus sounds very smooth, pure, almost tube-like, but with all the speed, control & dynamics required to drive the best high end loudspeakers. Vitus himself is a musician. He designs his gear to sound musical and to be able to listen without fatigue over long listening sessions. He also voices his products with a reference tt, so they tend to sound analogue-like. I was driving a pair of Magico S5's (4 ohm, 88db) with a Vitus SIA-025 which outputs 'only' 25 watts kl.A power. In reality, Vitus use very efficient UI-core transformers which have low loss compared to traditional toroids, so that 1.4kVa tranny feels more like a big 2kVa tranny. And the SM-101 mono's have 4 x more power!
Of course, the SM-101 mono's have been improved substantially over the years, incl: a Mk2 version & current SM-102. But if you can find a pair in good shape for a bargain & have the room to accommodate those beasts, I'd say go for it. The only caveat is - rule of thumb: Vitus sounds best with Vitus. If you go for Vitus mono's, I would budget or atleast plan to add a 2nd hand Vitus SL-101, or even a current Vitus RL-101 which is a very nice pre it its own right. I know of two audiophiles who sold their Vitus amps after trying to mix and match manufacturers. It's a shame, as Vitus amps sound awesome paired with a Vitus pre upstream.
The Pass xa-100.5's are tube-like, but are a bit bass shy & don't like driving low impedance loads. Paired with a Vitus pre, imho the SM-101 mono's would be a big upgrade & give you a lot more power, control and resolution, with Vitus's unique Kl.A sound. Cheers.
Vitus sounds very smooth, pure, almost tube-like, but with all the speed, control & dynamics required to drive the best high end loudspeakers. Vitus himself is a musician. He designs his gear to sound musical and to be able to listen without fatigue over long listening sessions. He also voices his products with a reference tt, so they tend to sound analogue-like. I was driving a pair of Magico S5's (4 ohm, 88db) with a Vitus SIA-025 which outputs 'only' 25 watts kl.A power. In reality, Vitus use very efficient UI-core transformers which have low loss compared to traditional toroids, so that 1.4kVa tranny feels more like a big 2kVa tranny. And the SM-101 mono's have 4 x more power!
Of course, the SM-101 mono's have been improved substantially over the years, incl: a Mk2 version & current SM-102. But if you can find a pair in good shape for a bargain & have the room to accommodate those beasts, I'd say go for it. The only caveat is - rule of thumb: Vitus sounds best with Vitus. If you go for Vitus mono's, I would budget or atleast plan to add a 2nd hand Vitus SL-101, or even a current Vitus RL-101 which is a very nice pre it its own right. I know of two audiophiles who sold their Vitus amps after trying to mix and match manufacturers. It's a shame, as Vitus amps sound awesome paired with a Vitus pre upstream.
The Pass xa-100.5's are tube-like, but are a bit bass shy & don't like driving low impedance loads. Paired with a Vitus pre, imho the SM-101 mono's would be a big upgrade & give you a lot more power, control and resolution, with Vitus's unique Kl.A sound. Cheers.