Ok....Audiogoners: need some tube amp ideas


Any suggestion/comment is appreciated. Just off the top of my head, below is a list of initial parameters.

- budget: $4k ish (somewhat flexible)
- tubes/valves amp(s)
- preowned or new
- mono or stereo configuration
- min wattage: 70 and higher (this rating would afford me more speaker options down the road e.g. 4/8 ohm and >88db efficiency)
- brand(s): leaning toward more esoteric manufacturers or models (e.g. Dodd 120, VAC PHI, Audio Valves); would prefer staying away from manufactueres that do magazine advertisement.

Current thought: I might push the budget a bit to consider a pair of preowned Lamm ML1.

Thanks much. (currently listening to Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No.2 by NY Philharmonic/Berstein)

Ken
kyyuan
Thanks for everyone's input so far. This is a good starting list. Let me insert a bit more background.

- Art Audio is supposedly sending me a pair of its Concerto MKII push-pull monos (over my budget, but I'll stretch if I like them that much)

- My current speakers are 88 db, 8 ohm, and highly damped; however, they do not provide enough bass. Thus far, some of the real-world priced speakers I've seen are typically around 88 to 90 db efficiency. Hence, I thought more power might be better. Nonetheless, I'll keep an open mind on the eventual speaker selection.

- I'm looking into a pair of Continuum 2.5 speakers from SP Technology. The waveguide is an intriguing proposition, and SP is sending me a pair of its smaller offerings for demo.

- Linkoping: Nice setup you have there. I actually did think about the Mastersound amps, but am unsure if they're sufficiently powerful for orchestral music.

- Sbank: I'm still investigating on the Berning amps; OTLs are an interesting animal to me. Sans Berning amps, other OTLs may be a bit fussy to maintain. Air Tight is certainly a viable option.

Again, thanks for all the inputs. Please keep them coming. I've been doing a lot of reading/researching here, AA, and Audiocircle for "esoteric" amps. The next step for me is to put together a short list for demo.

Ken
Check out a real OTL design... Atma-Sphere. You may be surprised with the dynamics and lower end resolution comparatively. I love the sound from mine. The one caveat is you will need to be focused on a higher efficiency speaker (90db or + would be great) with a straight 8 ohms (or higher), but why not regardless. I'm running Atma's MA-1 Silvers with a 140 watts into a 94db Coincident Total Eclipse speakers @ 14ohms and IMHO they do it all from top to bottom. A higher efficiency speaker will open you up to a much wider range of possible tube amps in the future. Think ahead. Happy Listening!
Again, thanks for all the inputs. At this point, 3 amps have emerged as the leading candidates. In the end, I'll do my best to demo them, but it will be difficult as there are no local dealers for the Air Tight and the MF. We'll see.

Please feel free to comment on the below observation.

- Air Tight ATM-2

- Music Reference RM-10 MKii (a pair in mono mode)

- Dodd 120

Ken
I would choose the Music Reference because of the company's track record and because of the flexibility afforded by the two amps for mono use or vertical biamping or dropping down in power with more efficient speakers or just having a spare should one amp fail.
Second Atma-Sphere. MA-1 used will fit the bill. I have never heard a better amp than the Atma-Sphere