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  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  (Reviews | Threads | Answers | This Thread)

09-16-08
  Responses (51-100 of 136)
Click title to read one, or click date to read all below it.

11-15-08   Hi microstrip thanks for your advice. i will upgrade to ac ...   Lloydelee21

12-23-08   Lloydelee...i have two cary v12 tube mono's i'll let go for ...   Kdi40

12-23-08   lloyd have you got anything yet??   Downunder

12-24-08   Have had my strads for about four or so years and used them ...   Smp

12-24-08   Hi downunder, i have not gotten anything yet. in fact, i s ...   Lloydelee21

12-24-08   not yet lloyd. i hope to listen to the lp275's in early ...   Downunder

12-26-08   I currently have maggie 3.6's which have a sensitivity of 88 ...   Xagwell

12-26-08   Thanks, downunder. cannot wait! i too may hear in mid to l ...   Lloydelee21

12-26-08   when i read the hifi+ revfiew, the bernings would not be ...   Downunder

12-31-08   Hi lloydelee21 i use the berning quadrature z to run my ava ...   Kejser

12-31-08   I have owned the lamm ml1.1 dual mono 90w amps for the last ...   Rawajakaj

01-01-09   Thanks kejser and rawawjakaj. at the moment, gryphon, wavac ...   Lloydelee21

01-01-09   "sf strads (4ohms, 92db sensitivity though impedence do ...   Rtn1

01-01-09   Have lived with the strads for more than 2yrs. during which ...   Bvdiman

01-04-09   Hi rtn1 and bvdiman, thanks. as you can see, my thinking h ...   Lloydelee21

01-05-09   Lloydelee21, another thing, try to avoid mixing and matching ...   Bvdiman

01-05-09: Downunder
Hi Bvdiman

I would somewhat agree that using the same brand pre and power does and should have a synergy that makes them sound like tea and biscuits.
the reality is that we are all looking for "our" sense of what we believe is the illusion of music. Some amp manufacturers do not make as good pre amps and visa versa.

If the amp or pre amp is designed correctly it should be able to interface with a large majority of systems and sound great - some more so of course.

I think this is why Krell has a lot more respect for amplifiers than their pre amps and having both maybe too much of a good/bad thing.
I used to own FMA 122 phono stage and it was great, however overall it was somewhat unforgiving and dry sounding. Couple that with a pre and power from FMA I am not sure if it would go too far in that direction - maybe not.

I guess that is why a LOT of audioiphiles couple SS amps with tube pre's, so they can get the so called best of both worlds. I have yet to hear a SS amp that I can personally live with, but that is me.

anyway, it is all good fun

Downunder  (System | Threads | Answers | This Thread)


01-06-09   Hi downunder, yeah, i guess that is why there's that classic ...   Bvdiman

01-07-09   bvdiman seeto is long gone - about 10 years ago at least ...   Downunder

01-08-09   Hi downunder, that's nice to know! i too, until ieaving sydn ...   Bvdiman

02-19-09   lloyd - what is the latest in the amp serach ?? i saw ...   Downunder

02-21-09   Hi downunder! great to hear from you!...cannot wait to hear ...   Lloydelee21

02-21-09   lloyd. i like darker/warmer better than cleaner, more t ...   Downunder

02-22-09   Hi downunder, i would be very surprised if our respective t ...   Lloydelee21

02-22-09   Oh, btw...you want to go to ultra audio website...jeff fritz ...   Lloydelee21

03-02-09   i have just spent a great week living with the gryphon col ...   Downunder

03-04-09   Wow...thanks downunder...now that's you, mihalis, schorly, a ...   Lloydelee21

03-05-09   Hi downunder, an excellent summary, as written, the colosseu ...   Bvdiman

03-06-09   Hi downunder, i am scheduled to audition gryphon antileon s ...   Lloydelee21

03-07-09   Auditioned the cj350 today...just to be thorough. very powe ...   Lloydelee21

03-07-09   Lloyd, i understand you. but you are in trouble ... gryphon ...   Microstrip

03-07-09   Thanks microstrip! appreciate the warning! i am set up for ...   Lloydelee21

03-07-09   microstrip - i owned the cj prem 350 and i own the art, ...   Downunder

03-08-09   Thanks, downunder! i really appreciate your candor and resp ...   Lloydelee21

03-08-09   no lloyd, i did not get to listen to the lp 275. frankly ...   Downunder

03-13-09   Have had the stradivari for some year and partnered it with ...   Tuboo

03-13-09   I would prefer the lamm 1.2 ref. to any tube amp with this k ...   Syntax

03-13-09   Have actually partnered my stradivari at that time with lamm ...   Tuboo

03-22-09   Thanks tuboo. i agree with your comments about ss v tubes.. ...   Lloydelee21

04-06-09   There are very enthusiast reports on stradivari and soulutio ...   Tuboo

04-08-09   Hi tuboo, downunder and all the many great a'goners out ther ...   Lloydelee21

04-08-09   lloyd don't try to lift the antileon alone!! they are ...   Downunder

04-08-09   The gryphon antileon (signature) as i have experienced and a ...   Tuboo

04-08-09   I know were are talking about absolute "reference" ...   Darkmoebius

04-08-09   Hi darkmoebius. thanks for your thoughts! i do not know th ...   Lloydelee21

04-08-09   Tuboo, what power cords are your antileon owning friends us ...   Lloydelee21

04-08-09   Hi lloyd, zero's are nothing more than impedance matching ...   Darkmoebius

04-08-09   The dominus in itself is a great pc but the next level anniv ...   Tuboo

04-08-09   Thanks, tuboo! i learn every time i read your posts. as fo ...   Lloydelee21

04-09-09   agreed, but sometimes a person is already heavily invested ...   Darkmoebius


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