Unfortunately it seems like you'll need a tube amp for mids and treble, and a powerful, class A, SS amp for bass. If I had to choose only one, I would get the biggest tube amp, that both sounds good and is affordable . You might want to add that bass amp later or add a sub later.
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Hello & thanks for the responses. I currently use Cary MB 500 mono blocks, a CJ ET3SE, Audio Research PH7 for a phono pre, a Project Extension 12 Turntable with a Sumiko Pearwood II Celebration cartridge to go along with The Elipsa SE's The sound is great I am always looking to upgrade the sound. Would the best option be to buy tube mono blocks with the most power for the $$? There are a pair of Carver Cherry 180's for sale for $4100. They are 180 watts per amp I believe. It seems like I will gain in the mids & highs but lose on the lows by switching to tube amp. Any input is appreciated. |
At this year's Axpona Audio Show in Chicago (O'hare actually) I was extremely impressed with how musical the Sonus Faber Lilium Loudspeakers sounded with the AMG v12 as the source driven by the latest Audio Research GS Preamp and GS150 power amp. I felt it to be the best sound of the show and visited the room several times during my 3 day stay there. I'm not sure how the Lilium compares electrically speaking to your Elipsa SE, but the Audio Research GS150 amp was a match made in heaven with the Lilium speakers. Good luck and enjoy your search! |
pkelly1504Hello & thanks for the responses. No, just throwing tube watts at them is not the answer. Wattage is not the answer here, current is, and for that you need what Stereophile is saying and recommended. Amps like these, Mark Levinson No.33, Boulder 860 and the Parasound JC1’s these are all bi-polar (bjt) output amps. Only then will you get control over these speakers, especially in the bass. A really great amp for these even though party loudness music would be out, and to show you wattage is not the answer, would be the old massive 1977 Mark Levinson ML-2 mono blocks another John Curl design "real current pushers", they are only 25w each but they keep doubling that wattage down to .5ohm. Cheers George |
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