Powerful Tube Amp for SF Strads?


I am looking for recommendations for a powerful tube amp for my Strads. A powerful tube amp which truly excels at palpability, musicality but also has very good bass control (though bass control is not as 'mission critical' to me as palpability).

My current amp (see below) sounds great to my ears!...but runs out of steam much too soon.

My system today:

Zanden 5000S DAC
CJ Act 2
CJ MV60 (EL 34 tube)
SF Strads (4ohms, 92db sensitivity though impedence does dip to 2.5ohms)
Velodyne DD-18 (run in parallel)
Transparent Ref/Ref XL cabling throughout
Purist Audio Dominus PC

In addition to recommendations, any thoughts are welcome on Wavac, Audio Note, Zanden, VTL, CJ LP275...or monoblocking MV60 (EL34)? Thanks!

Lloydelee21
lloydelee21
I am now breaking in a PAD Ann Contego for the Gryphon Antileon and PAD Dom Ferox for the CJ Act 2. So far, the sound is clearly breaking in still...40 hours so far. Soundstage is bigger, images are more solid, more dynamics. I want to wait til it breaks 100 hrs before I weigh in completely. The PAD Dom Ferox for my zanden has been great.
PAD Contego is fully burned in...immediate improvements. Soundstage is much bigger, more powerful, yet with a detailing and presence that remain organic...more organic than the stock cable. But perhaps the best change is the lower noise floor...allows the sound coming forth to be music.
Update:
- Changed my equipment rack. A 300 lb custom rack, 3" Birch ply sides
- African black sapele veneer in high piano gloss finish
- all on top of a 1.5" thick slab of slate...but decoupled
- the sound is tighter, more controlled, the soundstage much deeper.
- nice one!!!
- also added HRS damping feet under my Zanden DAC.
Well, i finally did it...i upgraded my Strads to Wilson X1 Grand Slamms...the one speaker i mentioned a couple of years ago and several posts back would be the only speaker i would upgrade to.

Stunning beyond all belief. It actually beat my Strads for sheer musicality/organic touch...something i was unprepared for. while at the same time, doing all the expected things...enormous dynamics, extreme bass, detail...

i suspect one of the reasons is effortlessness...this speaker more than any other i have heard shows no strain at any volume, dynamic or signal. once it shows no strain whatsoever, it allows any signal to come thru and pass right thru as if the speaker were not there...hence the music seems to flow straight thru.

just one person's experience! Enjoy everyone!