Please help - 3 top-of-mind choices for Avantgarde

Well - I ended up getting a Jadis DA50 pure calss A amp, sound is rich and extended, nice fit for the UNOs, but still curious with the Audiopax or Lamm.

Thanks all for your feedback

Since the UNOs are less efficient than other Avantgardes, and we can't be in your room, nor know what is loud enough for your tastes, I'd day that a sufficiently powerful and good SET should be great.

Just to be on the safe side re the comments above, amps that employ the 2A3, 45, and simlar power tubes might be a risky recommendation.

But power from 10 watts and above, for most people, in most situations, would be adequate.

At this power level and above, it'll be about finding the best SET amp to do the job.

I heard the Avantgarde Uno's driven by an Audio Note Soro SE 8W SET integrated at a dealer's. I was surprised by how bad the combination was. The midrange was thick and coloured, top end was poor and muddied. Nearly all of my music lives in the mids and highs, and the combination was inferior to what I already had (ProAc D38/Cary 50W SET's). The bass was satisfactory - the Avantgarde active woofers are pretty good but lack true low down extension.

I thanked the dealer for his time and was about to walk out, when he suggested using the Graaf 20W OTL power amp instead. So he hooked it up and let it warm up. This was MUCH more like it - the speakers really came to life with this combination. I could quite happily live with this, but I heard something better the next day at another dealer's and bought it.

I was surprised that the little Audio Note SET wasn't happy with the Uno's. You would think that the two were made for each other.

I also got to hear the Duo's with my own SET's. I was not satisfied with the demo for other reasons but lack of power was not one of them.

Good luck with your quest and do report back what you find works best!