Amplifier Input Impedance

Stickman451, you are correct as is Jmcgrogan2. Its easy enough to design a solid state amplifier with a high impedance input (100K); they could even make it switchable if they wanted.

Although our preamps are vacuum tube, they can drive even 5K with ease (they are designed to drive 600 ohms). But this is unusual with tube preamps so for the most part its likely that this will continue to be part of the equipment matching conversation for the foreseeable future.

Recently I was in the hunt for a really good set of 'muscle amps' to use on my Magnepan 20.7's and it was a little frustrating to see just how many big-name powerful SS anps have atrociously low input impedance.

Stickman451,
it's easy to levy the blame on the low impedance of the power amplifier but your Hovland HP-100 is also to blame. It's output impedance is 2500 Ohms i.e. 2.5KOhms. That's really high for a tube amp (but maybe normal??). I've seen an ARC Ref3 have a 600 Ohm output impedance, my CAT SL1 has a 100 Ohm output impedance, several Audio-Note (UK) preamps are xformer coupled to have low output impedance. SO, I know that it's very possible to have a low output impedance tube pre - the HP-100 is not one of them tho'.

Obviously you want to keep the HP-100 so it might be worth exploring a buffer stage between your pre & yet-to-be-purchased solid-state power amp?

Recently I was in the hunt for a really good set of 'muscle amps' to use on my Magnepan 20.7's and it was a little frustrating to see just how many big-name powerful SS anps have atrociously low input impedance.

can you please let the forum know which solid-state power amps you researched? And, how "atrociously low" their input impedance was?
Thanks.

The pro guys seem to handle this issue better: standard impedances.

I should keep my mouth shut because I'm ignorant, but I have read that it's hard to design a SS amp with high input impedence and still get enough power or maybe rate the amp with higher power. I know Levenson has cheated so to speak on their imput impedence ratings which are sometimes only half as high as they claim.