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Tube Integrated Amp - Help Please

Recently sold my hybrid Rogue Integrated and am now looking for a used tube integrated. I'm using Verity Audio Tamino X2 speakers - 89db (and told by Verity that these speakers are easy to drive and do well with Tube amplification). I listen to different genres but I love the soulful sound of a female jazz singer and classical music featuring the cello (looking for a warm midrange I suppose). I have a small room 15x14 (ugh) and listen at fairly moderate levels. Other gear includes a Hegel HD25dac and a Clearaudio Concept TT (Dynavector 10x5 cartridge). I'll probably buy a separate phono stage so the new Integrated amp does not have to include phono. 

My ear gravitates toward a lush warm sound, nice extended highs and tight bass. Any help would be greatly appreciated. My budget is $4000 and under. Thanks

Considering Rogers EHF-100 MK2 (no local dealers) or Line Magnetic (dealer is about an hour away). If keeping things a little cheaper on the budget, I thought the Sound Antique  AQ1001 Mark II DT or the Rogue Cronus Magnum may fit the bill. 
chaseyourdream
eastendhifi
19 posts
 
Being a Rogue dealer I might be a bit prejudiced, but the Cronus Magnum II is really amazing integrated amp for $2500.00.  I am a dealer for Ayon, EAR, and Cary Audio also, but dollar for dollar the Cronus Magnum II is hard to beat.

Chris
East End Hi-Fi
lk2
7 posts
 
The new VPI 299D

xti16
1,525 posts
 
Pre owned Octave V70se or V110. Built like a tank and some great protection features in the event an output tube fails. If you want an even lower noise floor and a bit more headroom add a black or super black box. I had both and the V110 has a bit more 'control' of the music. The beauty of tubes you can change the sound from warm to linear to punchy just by swapping tubes.
Good Luck
goldprintaudio's avatar
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goldprintaudio
502 posts
 
The VPI 299D is suggestion above is a great idea.  Really nice tubed integrated.....can run El34's or KT88's.
sonicbeauty
324 posts
 
I know the Verity sound quite well. Also, I wrote my first-ever Audiogon review back around 2002 and it is still available, to my suprise.

https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/review-verity-audio-parsifal-encore-speaker

I went through a truckload of amplifiers of all types over my almost 30 years in this crazy hobby (it all started with the diminutive Naim Nait original amp) all of 18 watts but sounded like 100 !

I sold the Parsifals many years ago with that stupid way we have of finding "flaws" when we should just appreciate the sound.

After a merry-go-round of speakers, I went back to Verity with a pair of Fidelio Encores. It was like finding an old friend.

Back to your question. My absolute best sound ever was with a pair of Cary 572 monoblocks and Cary preamp. But they were unfortunately very, very unreliable, a real pain. And that 572 tube is rare and expensive. Cary wanted an unreasonable price for transforming my monos so that they could take a more accessible tube, no way, I felt stuck, so I sold them.

The second best ever sound I ever got with Verity is my current integrated, a Pathos Logos. It comes very close to the Carys in soundstaging and transparency, and is absurdly more powerfull  (110 a side) with an authoritative bass presence the Carys could never match.  And no offence, but this a much better match than the Rogue, which I briefly owned but could never get it to make my Veritys come alive.

In fact I feel that Pathos is the only manufacturer that "gets it" right as far as getting the best from SS and tubes in a hybrid design.

You should look in to it. And know I am tempted to go up in the food chain and maybe putting my Pathos up for sale, but it may not be worth it after all.

Good luck in finding what you need !
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