Can tube amps give true high end bass?


I got the giant Silverline Grande La Folia speakers. They are really good and true high end in my opinion. They are efficient ca 93Db but got for bass 4 x 9,5ยด dynaudio woofers in each cabinet. I have tried 2 tube amps with them: Antique Sound Labs monos 2x60w and a protype VERY good 2x40W with El34 tubes (more about that amp in a later tread). And I have tried 2 transistor amps: An Ayre V1xe and Krell 450mcx monos. All givin very good sound in the mids and heigths BUT very different in bass. In my opinion the best bass was from the tube amps. Powerful deep bass!!

My dealer clames that such big speakers need a lot of power to control the 8 woofers: You must have several 100W i.e. tranistor or BIG tube amps like big VTL. With the "small" tube amps, that you have tried, the woofers get out of control and "pumping" air in an incorrect way. This movement in the woofers gives sound on it own that you only THINK is good bass!

Beeing an audiophile for 30 years I think I can determine when I hear good bass. But I am puzzled! -How can a 40W tube amp give better bass that Krell 450 monos?
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Atmasphere,
i would like your opinion on amp-building for my speakers.
I own Silverline Sinfonia.Link:
http://www.silverlineaudio.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=18
Each speaker has 3 connections,so is tri-ampable.

1.connec. - treble and 2" midrange
2.connec. - 7" mid-bass and front 12" woofer
3.connec. - 12" rear woofer

The first idea for amp was 6 320B XLS monoblocks (3 per speaker).Silverline also liked it.

But now,for me it seems the best to use 320B XLS on first and 2nd conn.,and bipolar transistor monoblock (limited on 18 W,same power as 320B XLS) on rear 12" woofer.

Reason-peak and recovery time.Same thing is also recommended
to me by two constructors,both in bussines more than 10 years.
But now you say that proper tube amp can also give what i need.So i am puzzled.What would you use in my place?
Keep in mind,all can be built EXACTLY to my wishes.And i will use constructed amps(of excellent quality),not Krell or Ayre or CJ finished products.

The rest of my system:
CD-still not decided(volume contr. will be in CD pl. or DAC,eliminating separated pre-amp)
IC-Gabriel Gold Revelation (whole system)
Speaker cable-Nordost Valhalla (whole system)
Silverline Sinfonia speakers

I mostly listen to heavy metal (90%).Also jazz,some classical and blues and acoustic music.


Audiobb, This is an interesting speaker- it seems like it has a dual woofer system, but apparently the second woofer is on a different circuit.

So that would seem to make all the circuits 8 ohms. I would check with Silverline on this to be sure.

Asking an amp manufacturer like me what amp they would use seems to me a loaded question- of course I recommend my own gear :). Alan's speakers have always worked well with our stuff. He invited us to show with him at CES one year (in fact on another year we did have equipment in his room) but some nasty events that some 'goners may remember intervened.

My feeling is that whatever amp you get, I would be careful about crossing everything over. My own experience with electronic crossovers is that you spend a lot of time getting things to blend- often never quite getting there. Using the same type of amp on each part of the system helps, but you can still run into difficulties. At any rate, it sounds ambitious- good luck with it!
+++Audiobb, This is an interesting speaker- it seems like it has a dual woofer system, but apparently the second woofer is on a different circuit.

So that would seem to make all the circuits 8 ohms. I would check with Silverline on this to be sure.+++

You are right on both things.I already checked with Silverline;every circuit is exactly the same - 8 ohm stable (+/-10% max)

I have checked your products;not until yesterday i figured out you are a manufacturer(i didn't notice your user name).OTL idea certainly seems interesting and theoretically right.But the problem is i have no posibillity to hear any of your amps.I am located in Croatia;you have no dealer here and no-one i know has any of your gear.But i would gladly match it up against Trlin Audio's top products.His amps do use OT,but i'm sure he can take the sound further than the sound i mentioned earlier.It would be a good and interesting duel of high-quality amps.
Thanks for your advice;I am aware i can run into difficulties,but i think i can overcome those.I aim at "the best of both worlds",which is always hard to achieve.

Your amps seem to be picking up the best of both designs,tubes and transistors.
I wish i could test some of your products in the future.
All the best wishes to you and your company.
Audiobob- FWIW, Ralph (Atmasphere) is well known among U.S. audiofools for impeccable integrity, outstanding customer service, and intellectual generosity. You may find an amplifier that has better synergy in your system, but its pretty unlikely that you will one that is a better value. The amp that replaced his in my system cost more than twice the price.