Member's recommendations for tube amplification


Your thoughts on options to consider:

- I'd prefer SET (open to DHT but not a requirement).

- I'm not looking for overtly warm, romantic or lush options.

- Minimum power in the teens to twenties, 10W being the floor.

- Open to higher power push-pull amps, but let's limit ceiling to around 60W.

- Single ended is fine though having XLR inputs would be nice (doesn't have to be true balanced)

- I'm cool with single chassis or monos.

- I have preferences for tube types, but leaving it open ended to get broad recommendations.

- I'm currently running an all solid state system, though have had tube based systems built around ARC, BAT, Ayon, Melody, Pathos, etc.

- Preamp will be a Pass XP-20 or the Metrum Adagio DAC direct to the amp.

- I'd like to stay around 3K used but can push the budget to 6K new/used.

- Speaker sensitivity is 94dB and higher.

THANKS!
david_ten
Coincident Frankenstein MkII - very good sound in all parameters. The manufacturer is not the best to deal with, but sound quality here I must say is of the highest note. You can still improve by asking for caps upgrade before ordering. It drives 89dB speakers to quite nice levels, but I wouldn't use them with large drivers, 10inch max. With bigger ones, it lacks attack and dynamics. Depending on your speaker character, you can play with 300B tubes, the WE300B replica from Psvane is marvelous, and gives incredible details and mids. The Takatsuki TA300B is slightly more balanced (again, will depend on speaker and/or your taste) and gives better bass. The Psvane black bottle does very well too. A good preamp will obviously improve these SET quite dramatically. Although I usually prefer to pair transistor/tube preamp/amps, I have experienced that they match perfectly with their cousin, the Coincident Statement Line. 
Hi hddg, 
I've the same amplifier as you and have enjoyed it immensely the past 8 years. I've had zero issues or difficulty dealing with the company owner, he's consistently been supportive and responsive during those 8 years. 

No doubt that anyone  is perfect or always pleases everyone. Sorry to hear you had some problems with him. By the way I also have their Statement Line Stage and it is indeed superb. 
Charles 
hddg, 
I viewed your system page and you have a very nice one,  it must sound fantastic.  I noticed that you have the Gryphon Mephisto amplifier.  Do you alternate between this and the SET Frankenstein MK II?  If so what a "very" stark contrast they must provide given their vastly different power and topologies.  I find this very interesting. 
Charles 
@jmac7  Thanks for bringing up the Line Magnetic integrated. I'm familiar with it. It was a wonderful pairing for my demos of the Devore O/96s.

@charles1dad   Charles, how could I forget, with all the early discussion in the DI thread around it. LM508ia must feel quite neglected now that the thread has moved on to those other two amps!  : ) 

Let me ask again, is it 'better' for me to pursue an amplifier separate for my application or should I also add tube integrateds to the mix. I don't have space issues or other factors that would necessitate a single box and I do have a preamp (which, however, could be used in a secondary system if I did go with an integrated).

Will it make a difference - how so? Are the differences not significant enough to be a factor? Thanks.
David I'd judge the choices based purely on sound quality.  The Line Magnetic 508ia for example is an integrated amplifier that by all accounts outperforms many stand alone power amplifiers.  Also I believe that the preamp section can be bypassed if so desired. It seems the 508ia has a good pre section that responds to tube upgrading.  Waltersalas can certainly address this aspect. 

A high quality integrated can be built with better parts and transformers than some power amplifiers,  it all depends. 
Charles