Single ended = large images?

I have some great memories of Cary amps… and yes the images were nice and fat (not obese)… and warm and embracing. They were inviting and natural. I’ll let someone comment on specific models.

You can also effect specificity of imagine with speaker changes. I am familiar with parsivals.

Also, you said you have more than one sub. Make sure they are properly integrated (turned down)… with many, they are going to be almost turned off or the bump in lower frequency bass will interfere with the imaging and muddy it up. I had two subwoofers and had the crossover at 40hz or so and volume less than 10 percent… really close it off or it screwed up the imaging. I have gone to lots of audio friends houses and first thing turned them way down and the system came alive.

I want to add a strong word of caution on the pursuit of vivid small imaging. This often comes at a great cost of musicality and natural tonal quality. Be very careful not to slowly walk yourself into higher treble higher definition sterile systems. One of the wonderful things about Cary and CJ and for that mater Audio Research is the warmth and natural rhythm and pace. Focus too much on imaging and you can end up with a unnatural ones. I can definitely recommend audio research. Imaging is outstanding and natural… not pinpoint, definitely not fat, but outstanding, detailed, natural, and musical. 

Thanks for the response. You are preaching to the choir on all those points :) We are in the same place relative to sterile neutrality, etc. I wouldn't put Audio Research in the Cary and old CJ camp, but generally I'm in big agreement with you. I am not after pinpoint imaging... I just don't want it to be oversized, like I remember hearing from the 805b amps. I'm just wondering if that comes with the territory with all SET amps... or not.

Yes my REL subs are professionally dialed in by a dealer, and I have a lot of experience with subwoofers for 20 years. I'm always preaching to people about not overdoing it on subs, having too high of a crossover point etc., when the mains are run full range like mine are. These subs are beautifully integrated and added so much to my system. 

I will not be changing speakers because I love my system right now ... just wanting to try SET again. My current amps are Quicksilver v4 monos with KT-150s.

I just read the owners manual for the 805 AE and it says there is adjustable feedback from 0-10. I thought there was no adjustment with this model, which is the one I'm thinking about because it has optional 211 or 845 tube. Maybe this would allow me to dial down the size of images... at least one reviewer suggested it could.

I guess I don't understand how images can be considered too large. Are you saying images were larger than normal size humans, anything up to human size would not be unnatural to my mind.

Perhaps images seem excessively large due to sound wave interactions with room boundaries muddying up images. I've found judicious room treatment with differing combinations of absorption and diffusion does wonders for imaging.

My room is 13' x 30' , length extends into open kitchen which makes actual L even greater. I run speakers on short wall which means they fire down L. I've used and continue to use 845 and 300B SET amps, along with DHT preamp, this with extremely modified Klipschorns. Also have two Rel subs (crossed over at 32hz) which integrate with Khorns magnificently. I have near human size images that remain distinct within a large sound stage. Images sound extremely  natural to me in that they don't have sharply defined outlines, rather they decay and interact with other images very much like unamplified performers on a live stage. I did purchase a Pass XP-22 pre last year, image outlines more sharply defined which I didn't appreciate, one of the reasons I sold it.

In any case with 89db efficiency speakers you'll likely need 845 amp to adequately run them, and then you have to think about impedance slope, steep slopes require a lot from amp.I used to run 90db Merlin VSM with 845 amps, no issues as they had easy impedance load.

Many years ago I ran Cary SLM-100 push pull monoblocks, Dennis liked those leaky Jensen coupling capacitors, very warm relaxed caps. I remember experimenting with various Mundorf and VH Audio caps. In any case I don't recall any imaging or sound stage issues with these.

I don't doubt you can alter imaging to some extent with the feedback dial,  but this may open up a whole other can of worms. Tonality or tonal balance can be tricky when changing feedback.

To reiterate I don't see any alternative to 845 SET in your situation. You could try a variety of DHT tubes run in parallel or push pull mode for more power, another thread running at the moment discussing these. It seems you've had a good taste of SET, like it, so I'd suggest sticking with DHT tubes. I ran push pull amps with 6550, EL34, KT family tubes for years, I evolved such that for me DHT is the end of journey. Per usual amp/speaker integration key, those Cary's may have been just right for you with the proper match of speaker. As for specific 845 amp recommendations I've owned Art Audio Carissa Signatures, present is Coincident, very similar sound qualities. The exact 845 tube chosen has a relatively large bearing on sound as well, the Cary's may have had one of the warmer tube offerings.

@montaldo fwiw, I came from four different Cary amps [triode/ultralinear) and did the whole DH Inspire Hot Rod Triode thing for a while too. I mention this because I see you run QS V4s with KT150s. My current amps [now upgraded] are the QS M120s originally designed for KT150s, now running KT120s. Thankfully. I evaluated and changed the triode input/driver tubes first, and then upgraded the QS amps to the exact same Mundorf Coupling Silver-Gold EVO caps I ran in the former Cary amps. Bing! Personally, I don’t care for the coupling caps or the main power capacitors in the signal path that Mike runs in the larger QS amps. Spending up here for really good ones here helps, notably. Others will confirm this who’ve done it. Several others here have made similar changes [particuarly those with speakers less than 93db]. FYI, he uses big efficient horn speakers for his design work btw, and possibly those silver cables too, hmmm. This might be the cap gap debate with different use-cases and speakers like yours and mine with lower sensitivity and efficiency. With these upgrade/changes, I now like my QS amps better than any of my prior Cary or DH Inspire triode amps prior. The sound stage, depth, height and focus is just right. Not overly large or ehco extended, nor anything like that. Not at all. Sits in front and spaced apart accordingly and stage depth now where it needs to be imo. I know what you are talking about btw. This is something I was looking for too fwiw.

Wanna try something else instead? - Find a good local tech, get those V4s upgraded and you might be surprised. Some members here emailed me back doing the same - reporting amazing results too fwiw. My KT150s are stored btw, the KT120s are really nice after the caps get swapped out and some good interconnects used. Take it all with a grain of salt I guess. Best of luck.