Hi daveyf
You May want to explore a hybrid amp. This is an amp with a tube input stage so you’ll get the benefit off tubes such as the tonality and the timbral accuracy that tubes offer with a solid state output stage (class a/b would give off a lot less heat compared to a pure class a design). This way you get the best of both worlds with a lot less heat then a tube amp. In a tube amp, the larger output tubes give off the most heat.
There are are a lot of them out there. I don’t know your budget but PS Audio BHK amps are supposed to be very good and they always get good reviews. They are also not hard to find in the used market because they’ve sold so many of them. There are many others to choose from at all different price points.
What I did is I bought a tube preamp which gives me that tonal color and “bloom” and accurate timbre that I can’t live without and I use a smaller solid state amp which to me sounds great. I have been very happy with that setup for years. Good luck.
Scot
You May want to explore a hybrid amp. This is an amp with a tube input stage so you’ll get the benefit off tubes such as the tonality and the timbral accuracy that tubes offer with a solid state output stage (class a/b would give off a lot less heat compared to a pure class a design). This way you get the best of both worlds with a lot less heat then a tube amp. In a tube amp, the larger output tubes give off the most heat.
There are are a lot of them out there. I don’t know your budget but PS Audio BHK amps are supposed to be very good and they always get good reviews. They are also not hard to find in the used market because they’ve sold so many of them. There are many others to choose from at all different price points.
What I did is I bought a tube preamp which gives me that tonal color and “bloom” and accurate timbre that I can’t live without and I use a smaller solid state amp which to me sounds great. I have been very happy with that setup for years. Good luck.
Scot