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Thinking of buying a solid state amp

I will be moving soon, my BAT 150SE might not work in the new environment due to hotter weather and smaller listening room. My speakers (Aerial 20T) requires lots of power so I can't go BAT 75SE route, I have not found other tube amps physically smaller to sound anywhere as good as BAT either.

So I have two options. Buy a good solid state and sell my BAT. Usual suspects are Pass 350.5, Bryston 14B-SST, McIntosh 501, etc. Question is will I be happy with anyone of them coming from BAT?

My second option is to buy some class D like Bel Canto or Nuforce and keep my BAT to use during cooler days.

I will rather have 1 (or 1 pair) amp than 2, but will any of the above (other suggestions welcome) make a tube guy happy? In my 20+ years of audio journey, I have owned 10+ solid state amps but they never lasted over a couple months.

Pre amp is an Einstein.
semi
itsalldark
182 posts
 
I'm not sure how much power you need but I have owned a bunch of tubed amps: Bat VK75se, Music Reference RM200, three from Art Audio, Cary V12-R to name a few. I purchased a Hovland Radia about a year and a half ago and have not looked back. I use it with a Audio Research LS-26(tubed)pre amp and the sound to my ears is steller. I really like the SS amp and tubed preamp combo! It drives my Sonus Faber Cremona's with ease!!

Bill
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samzx12
1,220 posts
 
What about a BAT ss?
swampwalker's avatar
swampwalker
5,138 posts
 
Well, the 350.5s not going to solve your warm weather issue, since it operates in Class A up to 40wpc.
lapierre
547 posts
 
McIntosh MC402
ck
101 posts
 
If you are going to go SS and heat is an issue you can eliminate any class A amp ie Pass. The Nuforce would give you plenty of power an they produce very little heat and take up a small footprint. The fact you are using a tube preamp is also helpful and should match well with the Nuforce. By the way Nuforce is coming out with the V3 later in the fall so you may want to wait.
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