EL 34 Amp Recommendations

If this is your first tube amp, regardless of the brand you purchase:

1. Buy something that is reliable;
2. Has long tube life;
3. Is easy to use (has built in meter or auto-bias);
4. Has good resale;
5. Has good manufacturer service.

If you can stretch to around $3500 (!) buy a used Wolcott Presence amp. Tremendous sound and auto biasing of the EL34 tubes .

A Cary V12R goes very well with the SLP98 I had both. If you can go a few more bucks the Cary CAD 120's is even better and runs much cooler. I'm running the CAD 120's (but with Gold Lion KT 88's) and the SLP98P. I had Cary put in high speed hexfreds and Cardas Caps in the amp. The SLP98 has excellent gain in it, so you won't have to upgrade to the Mark II amp. Make sure you upgrade power cords to Nordost Blue Heavens. They make a big difference. Bias is also a lot easier to adjust on the Cad 120's. You only need a screw driver. Tube amps are what make the most difference in sound (over preamps) Best of luck.

Check out the websites from the following: ( cost - lowest to highest )

Dared (I-30)
Jolida (they have a few EL-34's)
Rogue (Cronus)
PrimaLuna (ProLogue)

I use a Conrad Johnson MV-60 with a 2wq now, and absolutely love it. The magic midrange, beautifully natural sound, and dynamics are great since the 2wq takes a lot of the heavy lifting. The MV-60SE is supposed to be more neutral, which is not something I seek. Love the MV-60.