Horning owners what amps have you used?

Trelja,
Dpe has already stated twice that he gets excellent results with his Thoress 300b, When it comes to 300b amplifiers there`s quite a range in terms of ultimate performance. Some have 'much' better transformers, stiffer power supplies and part quality than others.
Also much of the grunt/drive factor is influenced by the choice of driver tube. there are many variables that seperate 300b amps from average to outstanding.
To generalize is very in accurate.
Horning makes his own 300b amp, he must find them quite capable I`d assume. Some 300b amps would just be okay and there are others that would drive these Hornings to hell and back.
Best Regards,

Correction,
The Horning amp is`nt 300b based but my point remains the same.The overall quality of the amp matters more than the specific output tube and stated power ratings don`t tell the entire story.

The Sati I heard in Jeff's loft was modified to use the monster Emission Labs 320B XLS. I believe the output was 20 watts.

Actually Charles1dad you were correct, Horning did once make a 300b (Taj Mahal) and an 845 (Emperor). The Sati 520b appears to be the only amp he's producing now. From the posts on this tread only Latinsamba1 has heard the 520b. It would be interesting to hunt down Horning's previous incarnations, but I don't think you're likely to find many in the US. I haven't owned an integrated amp in years. With the exception of the external power supply, it would free up a lot of rack real estate. At least you know what this integrated amp was voiced with.

Trelja, did you hear a Deja Vu 2A3 Horning combination? Led Zeppelin on 5 watts, that's impressive.

Johnk, it's always a pleasure to hear from you and thanks for the recommendation by the way. I'm well aware that you're a big fan of both those amps. I previously had a pair of your speakers. I seriously miss the sound of the Seas Exotic W8 in your cabinets. I will eventually pick up another pair of single drivers speakers. I loved the soft enveloping sound of SEAS in your cabinets. I also think it was you who planted the seed in my head regarding the Mastersound 845 or 300b monos.

As 845s go, I would love to find a rare pair of Komuro 845. One of my A-gon friends once owned and raved about this amp. He's probably shaking his head now over this discussion. I blame my curiosity and yearning on him. ;-)

Charles1dad, I would say if Dpe's results were truly excellent, this thread would not exist.

Holding the variables you mentioned constant, the 2A3 tube will most definitely eclipse the 300B in terms of low end response and impact.

Taking the Lowther route, Isochronism's Beauhorn Virtuosos would be a better match for a 300B amplifier than the Hornings. Not to say that a 300B amplifier won't drive the Hornings, it most certainly will. But neither are you going to get to hear all of the speaker you paid for.

Dpe, yes, I did hear the Deja Vu push-pull 2A3 amplifier with Horning loudspeakers. I recently had that combination in my second system for a couple of months. Though I told my buddy (a fellow Audiogoner) who lent it to me to never sell it, I'd say if you are interested, he'd be willing to talk. It was the best amp I've thus far mated to my Hornings. Not sure where you are located, but if you're within driving distance of Philadelphia, most likely we can put the combination back together for you to come and give a listen to.

When I say crazy volumes, I mean 110 - 120 dB with both ease and requisite slam. My only complaint, you pay for some of that bass the solid state rectification yields by sacrificing a bit of tube rectification sweetness and romance.

Being a push-pull amp, as opposed to SET, its output was closer to 15 watts than 5. The much underrated 2A3 used in this configuration will sound a lot more like the typical 30 - 35 watt per channel tube amp, and the seat of the pants feel of the Deja Vu with the three loudspeakers I used it with was actually more than my Dynaco ST70, with some seriously meaty low end. 2A3 (2 - 5 wpc) SET amps will never come anywhere close in terms of power or extension.