No Diamonds, the earlier version. Since I've owned the Eidolons almost every change to the system seems magnified compared to the lesser speakers I was monkeying around with when I was looking for my direction.
Starting with a 35 then a 75 watt stereo tube amps then came the Eidolons which necessitated two solid state, and three switching amplifiers, every one had an obvious difference in presentation. All the while I was missing the relaxed sense of a tube amplifier which would explain my excitement for these Carver's.
Unfortunately, despite my years at this hobby I don't consider myself experienced enough to accurately or successfully describe the differences of equipment I've actually had in my own system. IMO compared to the other big tube mono's I auditioned (from memory) the Carver's handle the Eidolons bass output much better. I can't say that means they are distorting less but it certainly sounds like it.
For the Isis? The Carver's are mono's and the heat is far less than the 75 watt stereo amp I was temporarily using just prior to receiving the Carver's. A bit warmer that a warm running A/B solid state but less than a class A solid state. Geez, I should just get out a thermometer.
Another tube amp I was considering was the Music Reference RM200 which I believe can be had in a 200 watt mono block, a little out of my budget. The RM200 has the ability to power difficult speaker loads and their distortion figures are outstanding. This might be of some interest. A reply regarding using tube amplification from Avalon Acoustics in 2009.
["Thanks for the mail, and glad you like the Eidolons. I still think they are amazing, and expect to continue to sell their current iteration.
My first experience with tubes and Eidolons was with Audio Research 100's. Clearly not enough power to have the full bloom of the capability of the Eidolons, but, there was still enough info to let me know that with a bit more power there would be some very nice results. Indeed, I later heard them with both the AR 300, and later the 600. These are both super amps, and priced accordingly, but in the interest of letting you know that it will work, I give you those examples. On the other extreme, if you can find a small tube amp, called the RM9, RM10, or RM200. These little tube amps are quite extraordinary. Probably on the
low end of power requirements, and admittedly I have not heard them with Eidolons, but many years ago I lusted for the RM9 for myself. The company is very small, but passionate, and is still in existence, and I believe in California. Also, a bit more mainstream, is VTL, also a California based company, with a variety of 'affordable' mono and stereo tube gear. We shared a room with them at the recent Audiofest show in Denver in early October. Always a good match, and we share a number of dealers and distributors around the world. David Berning also makes a few very good amplifiers. We used their amps at CES a lifetime ago, and never forgot that sound, and now people have started to tell us how good the combination still is.
Lucien Pichette
On Nov 24, 2009'}
