Will Changing my 100 Watt Tube Amp to a 200 Watt SS Amp Solve My Problem?


Hello All,  I have a 100 watt Audio Research VT100 mk II amp, with an Audio Research LS-25 preamp.  My speakers are relatively low in sensitivity, and I find that I must turn the volume up to 3 o'clock on the preamp to get enough volume for a loud listening experience.  When I do that, I am introducing more background noise.

I would like to achieve a quieter noise floor.  I am also curious about the limits of the 100 wpc amp with the Mira Monitors.  Would an older Krell 200 watt class A amp "control" the speakers better?  If so, what are the benefits of this?  There are a few amps on this site that caught my eye, all about the same value as my amp, so I can potentially make a move with very little cost.  Is this a good idea? How much wattage increase is necessary to get a significant enough difference?  Would a jump to 150 watt solid state be sufficient?


here are the 3 amps that caught my eye:

Ayre: https://www.audiogon.com/listings/solid-state-ayre-acoustics-v-5xe-amplifier-2016-02-05-amplifiers-h...

Krell: https://www.audiogon.com/listings/solid-state-krell-ksa-250-2016-02-14-amplifiers-91754-monterey-par...

BAT:
https://www.audiogon.com/listings/solid-state-balanced-audio-technology-bat-vk-250se-bat-pak-2channe...



You can see my complete system here if you want to know more about the other components:  https://systems.audiogon.com/systems/5421



Thanks!
Mark
marktomaras
Marktomaras; out of curiosity, what is your amp plugged into for power?

You posted earlier that you were having gain issues with your cartridge/phono preamp/preamp.  How was that resolved?
Lak, the amp is plugged into a Shunyata Hydra Talos.

Onhwy61, I played with the gain on the phono stage, and ultimately dropped it a touch.  This amp idea is an extension of the same issue.  I was thinking that if the power amp had more muscle, perhaps the gain on the phono stage and preamp will be just fine.  Perhaps I am asking too much from the 2 preamps, and not enough of the power amp.  What do you think?
Lak, more completely,  the amp is plugged into a Shunyata Hydra Talos, which is plugged into a dedicated outlet which has a dedicated circuit in the breaker, done when I remodeled the house and upgraded the electric service.

They should give you better control of your speakers especially the Class A Krell, which is perhaps more of a high current design than the others.

All the amps you listed have different sonic signatures so best to try them out.