Best EL-34 Amps?

Kenreau, have your tried KT88s in the Cayin. I wonder because I have a Music Reference RM9 Special Edition which was oringinally equipped with NOS Siemens EL34s but I bought RAM Labs KT88s and thought it was much better with my Merlins. I know Bobby likes the EL34 tube, but I sometimes don't know how much of the tube sound is the tube versus the circuit it is impelemented in. In the Music Reference the amp was significantly more dynamic, with better bass and more detail in the midrange. I'm not sure that would be true for all EL34/KT88 implementations but it is in my amp. As an aside, in many ways the Music Reference RM 10 which uses EL84s was the best of the lot through the midrange, but not quite emough power and drive for my speakers.

The RM10 is 35 watts and it is enough power on its own terms, but when you put the 160 watt RM9 in the difference in power makes a difference that is preferable - I was attributing it to the power difference and the fact that it looses no wattage as the impedance dips (which should not be much of an issue with the Merlins). But give the price of the RM10 with the EL84s I would say the EL84 is a very nice sounding tube in a well designed amp - great midrange tonality and I think more resolved than the EL34. There is another member who is doing the EL34/KT88 comparison with his RM9 as well (and Merlin speakers) and I'll let you know what his impressions are when he has some time for the comparison. I won't speak for Bobby other than to say he proabably likes the EL34 for its midrange beauty and his speakers don't depend as much a lot of bass drive and control from the amp to produce well defined, controlled bass (why they work so well with tubes in general).

If they were voiced with the S30, no doubt they will be driven wonderfully by the RM10s, but as much as I love my RM9s, it is hard to beat an OTL with OTL friendly speakers, but very nice for a high quality change of pace (which is why I keep the RM9SE) - both Music Reference and Atma-sphere are made by superb designers. Are your speakers sensitive enough for Music Reference's 5 watt SETs? If so that too would be worth trying, never heard anything by Roger Modjeski that didn't sound great, was well built, and would prove to be ultra-reliable.