Driving ProAc Response 2 With Solid State

I am driving the newer ProAc Response D15 with the Rowland Concentra II and the combo IMO is excellent. Superb midrange, clarity, great with vocals, jazz, instrumentals sound really good. Of course, if you're looking headbanging, heavy rock music, ProAc's may not be the right way to go.

I bought a pair of Response 2 speakers (don't know about an "s" version) 10 years ago and fell in love with their speed and transparency. While I changed over to Martin Logans for my main rig, I still use the Response 2s in my office system and continue to be impressed. The only time I ever ran them with a SS amp was with an Adcom 555--bad idea, the high end was enough to give you a headache. I switched to Quicksilver Silver Edn mono amps, which, if anything, erred slightly on the dark end. I finally swapped the Quickies out for a VT100, and have enjoyed that combination for quite some time--I seriously urge you to listen to the ProAc/ARC combination. I believe that ProAc used ARC gear to voice its speakers.

I'd also beg to differ slightly with Dtanclim in that I found the ProAcs quite satisfying for rock music. The ProAcs had some slam and impact that my MLs are missing. OK, so they may not be ideal in the sense that they are mini-monitors and there is no far bottom end, but what is there is accurate and has punch.

Vox, I've been a happy ProAc monitor [both Response 1SC and Tablette 50 Signature] owner for two years now. I'm using a Blue Circle BC21 tube preamp mated to a BAT VK200 solid state amp and I really like the results.

The VK200 has the reputation of being on the dark side of the spectrum for a solid state amp so that may be one of the reasons I've found success, but I also think having a tube DAC and tube preamp in front of it helps as well.

Although I've never heard it, I understand that the Response 2 has excellent bass for a monitor, and I have no doubt they'll disappear if set up properly. ProAcs are known to do that, even the floorstanders. I heard the ProAc D80s powered by an all ARC set up and those big boys were invisible.

I've had success driving my ProAcs with solid state amps such as the Blue Circle BC22, Pass Aleph 3 and BAT VK200. If you're into acoustic guitar the Aleph 3 is something special.

Good luck!