SS amp for Merlin VSMs?


Is there anyone who has found an SS amp that they prefer to tube amps with their Merlins? I have most recently owned CAT JL2, Atma-spehre M-60, Music Reference RM9 Special Edition and RM10MKII, Quicksilver V4s, and the Ars Sonum integrated (In each and everyone sound terrific with the Merlins). For SS, I did try Pass XA30.5 and First Watt Aleph J, but did not prefer them to my tube amps (I now use Music Reference RM10s - summer; and the Atma-spehere M60s the rest of the year).

So, any great SS sucess stories with the Merlins up against the kind of tube gear I have owned? Or is that just a elusive chase?
pubul57
The SS amps I've used include the Odyssey Stratos monos, Krell KSA 50s and TAD Hibachis. All worked very well, but I preferred the TADs over the Krell over the Odysseys. The TADs were also the least expensive choice.

That said, I too, prefer a good tube amp (I've tried Prima Luna 7s, ARC VT 130SE, Cary 300B and 805 mono SET amps, among others) with these speakers. The Hibachis are very satisfying, nonetheless.

Marty
I just saw that you can get a pair of the TADs for $500 -- How is that possible? They do look interesting.
Paul

You are doing a lot of amp switching considering how you love the Merlins. Are you trying to get more out of them?

Jim
I don't think anything will sound better than the Atma-sphere with the Merlins (maybe Joule VZNs), so getting more out of them is not the goal. I would like to have a no fuss SS amp that I can use in the summer, without feeling like I've taken a big step down from the Atma-sphere. Prior to that I thought the CAT JL2 were fanatastic, but they generated even more heat than the M60s. Unfortuanatley I suspect that I will need Class A SS to be satisfied and that gives off a lot of heat as well. Looking back, I should have kept the Aleph Js. The amp Bobby P recommeded was the BEL 1001, but not easy to come by, and anyting but the MKV is getting a bit old on the capacitors.