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Recommend a Tube Pre & SS Amp Combo

Hello,

Having been mulling and searching this over quite a bit and have come to the following conclusion:

My next upgrade will be a tube pre amp and a ss amplifier. I love the tube sound but also like lots of power as I find my current SLI 80 gets a bit compressed as the volume gets loud. I am also trying to make it work with a HT system, which is another reason for the ss amp piece of the puzzle.

Current speakers are Dali 400mkii.

Looking for recommendations on the combo with the following "needs":

Warmer sound than lean
Lots of power
HT bypass on the pre (req.)
Prefer to stay with a single brand for both, but am open to suggestions
Prefer made in north America
Improvement over the SLI 80, if you have experience here

Thanks in advance!
juggernaut850
lloydelee21
1,202 posts
 
Hi Soix,

Good comments and interesting to read. I also agree with your comments on CJ vs ARC and BAT. Gryphon does have switches for low bias on the Antileon and Colosseum...i think their other models are already A/AB? Specifically, the Antileon have 3 switches (lo, medium and hi/pure Class A all the way). The Claytons i believe have 2 switches (or certainly used to)...i am not as familiar with them.
wrm57
990 posts
 
The new Bryston SST2 amps are really nice--powerful, transparent, sonically balanced, grain-free--and have excellent synergy with VAC (especially the top models that are lower gain) and Aesthetix (especially Calypso Sig) preamps. You'll have to mix brands but I don't see that as a drawback at all.
doggiehowser
672 posts
 
I will be using an Audio Research Reference 5SE with Electrocompaniet Nemo monoblocks.

Was previously using Bel Canto REF1000Ms.

Am also running a second system with an Ayon CD5S (CDP/DAC/tube pre) with a Plinius SA-Reference.
cabralgoat's avatar
cabralgoat
6 posts
 
Amp: Van Alstine Insight
Pre-amp: Van Alstine Transcendence 8
American Made
Excellent stuff.
bondmanp
1,792 posts
 
FWIW, I am really enjoying my combo of McIntosh C220 preamp (with Reissue Mullard tubes) and Odyssey Audio Stratos SS amp. The C220 does not have a theater bypass, but I just picked a set level on the volume control, and balanced my surround channels around it. Works fine. If you step up to the C2300 preamp, you get HT bypass. The Stratos is a powerful amp, and meets your requirements of being U.S.A. made, and on the slightly warm side of neutral. IMO, both are extremely well built and reliable, and both are produced by companies that firmly stand behind their products (even though one is a small direct-seller and the other a larger company with retail distributors).

Good luck!
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