Amplifier recommendation


We who love this hobby/obsession are an interesting lot. We love to converse with, encourage, challenge, insult, and offend one another, then turn to one another for advice and recommendations. Because we are haunted by the possibility that while we think we have Golden Ears, we might just merely have Silver Ears, so we seek reassurance from one another that we really are hearing what we think we’re hearing. “Did you find that to be a little too rolled off on the top end?” “I agree that it’s right tonally, but lacks the imaging of comparable models. Or is that just my room?” 

With that brief preamble, I am going to, you guessed it, ask for a recommendation. And I’m going to ask a question hoping some will have a very specific answer to, knowing full well that most will say,”Well, that depends”. Can you name a specific stereo tube amp that is reasonably affordable, (no &100k or even $10 k, please) “vintage” or current, that you think produces 70, 80, 90% of the sound characteristics that tube lovers love? Can you say THAT amp is what a typical high end tube amp “sounds like”? An amp about which you would say, “Wanna know the difference between a good tube amp and a good solid state amp? Listen to THAT tube amp! Thanks!

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Atma-See here Class D May suprise you in very good way.

That Atmasphere would be worth looking at… IMO.
(But he also has done valve gear for ages.)

@holmz 

 

+1 Ralph (aka Atmosphere) has a long history of building outstanding tube gear, and if one can afford them, go for it. I am not in that league, but have owned lots tube amps, preamps, even cd players, but am 100% content with my LSA Voyager 350 GaN amp MSRP $3000, but often on sale <$2400!!!

older audio research tube amps can be very good, but prior to the vt and v series of the early to mid 90’s the sound could be rather inconsistent, as the company was still finding its way into its characteristic sonic fingerprint that has stayed quite consistent since that time - in general stick with vt series or newer, and ref series in particular (if one runs a balanced system)

of course, with older amps arc or otherwise, one needs to make sure the condition of the components (and tubes of course) are up to snuff

Thomas and Stereo on youtube is selling this amp. He seems like a legit guy. I am a solid state guy but if I was into tubes I would consider this.

 

 

Quicksilvers are mono blocks, mostly. I love mine, but you asked for a stereo tube amp, no? How about Aric?

https://aricaudio.com/products.php?product=TRASNDKTSE
https://aricaudio.com/products.php?product=TRCDPP
https://aricaudio.com/products.php?product=SPRKT88120