Suggest you audition Pass Labs Monoblocks. I have older Class A monoblocks even though I have been a tube guy since the mid 1970's.
Is there a Solid State amp that can satisfy a SET guy?
Have been a SET guy for so long I have forgotten what a good SS amp even sounds like.
Just bought a pair of $33k speakers that will replace my current $16k speakers. Both are from the same designer and both are 92db and a flat 8 ohms. The new ones arrive in 4 days!
My 300B based amps well drive my current speakers even though I do use the system nightly as a 2 channel home theater. Especially considering the HT usage, I think I may enjoy a SS amp with many times the horsepower. The speaker designer suggests using a Leema Hydra II. I have written to Leema telling them of my 300B preference and they assure me that their amp does not have the destructive harmonics that make a SS amp bright. There must be other SS amps that can satisfy?
Just bought a pair of $33k speakers that will replace my current $16k speakers. Both are from the same designer and both are 92db and a flat 8 ohms. The new ones arrive in 4 days!
My 300B based amps well drive my current speakers even though I do use the system nightly as a 2 channel home theater. Especially considering the HT usage, I think I may enjoy a SS amp with many times the horsepower. The speaker designer suggests using a Leema Hydra II. I have written to Leema telling them of my 300B preference and they assure me that their amp does not have the destructive harmonics that make a SS amp bright. There must be other SS amps that can satisfy?
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- 288 posts total
How much power do you want? A parallel 300B will get you a bit more power...20w. A parrallel 520B using EMLs will get you to 28w but these are not cheap. New, mine are $23K in Stereo but we usually have a used Argento or two floating around that can be had in low teens. Just a little above your budget. I would just need to have the power supply swapped for US. Right now I have this listed for a customer which is an interesting amp: https://www.audiogon.com/listings/lis9j5a1-art-audio-adagio-stereo-set-amp-27w-tube There were only a couple made and it probably the most power you are going to get from a 300B family tube. In the end, I get that you want to get to about 50w of power which I can't do in anything other than a Push Pull design. BTW...I understand what you mean about 845 monos. I run 45w 845s that are push pull and it is definitely more linear than a 300B. The 845s are going to be about where your warmest SS amps are going to fall. If you don't like 845 monos I am not sure you will ever be satisfied with a SS amp. |
I would like to draw your attention to the german AVM Audio brand. I run an Ovation A6.2 into Dynaudio Sapphires. The craftsmanship of these amps is outstanding. Their class A/AB is amps are very revealing yet very musical. The top of the range amps, AVM Ovation line, combine SState and Tube ouput. These are state of the art/benchmark products that last a lifetime. Very special. Hope you have the opportunity to auditio. |
austinstereo As a result of being in sales and service of audio gear for a very long time, we have yet to encounter a solid state amp that can match a tube amp in terms of warmth and space. Just as true, we have yet to encounter a tube amp that has the tautness and attack of a solid state amp. A push pull tube unit is a bit more of a happy medium between the two extremes. >>>>>You might consider widening your search as a good tube amp will meet your requirements for tautness and attack, obviously the usual audiophile protocols must be followed, you know, room treatments, EMI/RFI treatments, vibration isolation, etc. as a large part of the sound ultimately is a function of “system engineering.” “Plug and play” only gets you so far. |
- 288 posts total