Cary 805 vs v12

Brad, the last few posts give good advice. It's all about the speaker match and your Sensitivity: 87dB /1W/1m
Impedance: 6 ohms nominal
doesn't sound like a good match for the 805s. In general, 211s, 845s, etc. will go better with >90db and >8ohm loads.

The most common way to "go ballsier" is with pentode beasts using your EL34, 6550s etc. Many including me are partial to triode magic, so be sure to demo before buying any pentode amps based on reviews, etc.

It's always a trade off of priorities and personal preferences! cheers,
Spencer

"more power, less heat and more extension on top and bottom with no loss of the glorious triode mid range. I guess that sums up what a lot of people are looking for and might as well be called the unobtanium amp!"

Yeah, it's tough because for more power you need more tubes and that equates to more heat. Having lived with VTL, BAT, Dehavilland, Atma-Sphere and more, I've been there! SS hybrids like my Lamms run hot to touch, but don't warm a room like the big tube amps do. Whatever you decide, keep the speaker matching a top priority.

Recent conversation with some audio club friends led to pondering about the newer room A/C systems that run quietly and might address from the other end of the problem. Just a thought...Cheers,
Spencer