Viber, I will tell you the amp I am using in a moment ( although I have not been shy about in on other threads ). I gave up on tubes a long time ago, which was a shame, because with horns, there seems to be a " magic ". Factors such as mushy bass ( ill defined and slow ), microphonics, constant biasing, tube rolling ( getting and matching good quality tubes ), noise, long warm up times, and reliability issues were a big play in my decision. Keep in mind ( as this was pointed out to me by Roger Modjeski on his fabulous thread here RamTubes, asking an engineer questions ), I likely did not have the correct amps. From the very beginning, I jumped on board with solid state. Mcintosh, Ampzilla, Son and Grandson, Marantz 15, Citation 16 ( the A version, and even the little model 12 ), Dyna 416, Robertson, Bedini, PL, SAE, Sumo, and not to mention the Japanese units. Yamaha, Luxman, Kenwood LO7s, need I continue. I was a junkie, for sure. Being in the business, I was able to get my hands on absolutely anything. And I did. My Threshold Stasis 2, was at the time, a revelation, as was my Krell KSA 50 ( my favorite ).....It was not until I got my Krell KSA 50, that I believed SS was the real deal. Moving along to today, most of that equipment is gone, as I no longer was in the " collection " business. March of ’17 ( I am retired in Fl. at this point ), I decided, for giggles, to purchase the Nuforce STA 200, being sold for the price of $499., with free shipping, and a 30 day return. Amp was not satisfactory with my preamp collection ( again many, a few in the 5-6 K range ).Too much gain. Hum, hiss, and very little attenuation control on the volume. But, it sounded AWESOME. This amp, through my current pr. of Lascalas ( I have been through a number of pair), had attributes, positive mind you, of every other amplifier I have ever owned, and not a single negative, except for the too much gain issue. Early this year I tried passive, and have found my Nirvana, with the Luminous. There are many amp manufacturers whose products have been through my doors not mentioned here, because honestly, it no longer matters. Speakers, do not get me started. I had them all ( while always a pair of Lascala ). You did ask what amp I am using, right ? WC is on a larger " budget " scale than my own, but in my industry, I have heard much near what he is buying. To me, no biggie. There is only so much info on a recording. My weakness in likely my Dac ( heavily modified Adcom GDA 700 ), but, really does the job for me. Gave up my Lps and tt set up recently in ’15 as it was a pita for me to get a record to spin. I was anal with the cleaning, clamping, all else....My vinyl sounded superior to me than digital, but I adjusted. Enough for now. I am thinking of writing a book on my vast audio experiences, and believe me, there have been many. I have known many big and influential people in the industry, many have passed, some still around, and, other than better parts, not too excited about some of the new stuff. I apologize to you WC, as I did not mean to use your thread for my read. Your mission is still quite enjoyable to me, but as I’ve said, I have found a sound that suits me, my music, and my listening habits. Enjoy ! MrD.
