@jdl57 A speaker change to Coincident PREs (from Coincident Super Eclipse IIIs) caused me to have to change amps from Coincident Frankenstein 300bs. Eventually I built my own First Watt F4s and find them excellent. I was very surprised, because I had previously demoed a Pass Labs XA25 and did not end up keeping it (although it was excellent).
The F4s are certainly not SETs, but surprisingly, I don't really miss my Franks at all. The F4s create a ton of space and have excellent tonality. A touch of sweetness while also being incredibly transparent. They don't distort at all and play better at the extremes with the PREs (94db and supposedly a flat 8ohms). Plus, as you point out, DIY does save a lot of money. I built two monoblocks and vertically bi-amp my speakers so each driver gets its own 25 watts. Under $1800 total cost. I sold my Franks and upgraded tubes for around $4000.
The F4s are certainly not SETs, but surprisingly, I don't really miss my Franks at all. The F4s create a ton of space and have excellent tonality. A touch of sweetness while also being incredibly transparent. They don't distort at all and play better at the extremes with the PREs (94db and supposedly a flat 8ohms). Plus, as you point out, DIY does save a lot of money. I built two monoblocks and vertically bi-amp my speakers so each driver gets its own 25 watts. Under $1800 total cost. I sold my Franks and upgraded tubes for around $4000.
