I am personally very happy with the BAT VK200 SS amp. The VK200 doesn't get a lot of attention because it lives 'in the shadow' of the tube gear in the BAT line (I also have a VK3i preamp). Nevertheless, it is a solid performer that to my ears delivers liquid smooth midrange, while maintaining rock solid bass control. At 100 wpc, this fully balanced design won't power a small city, but manages my Magneplanar 1.6QRs with authority. I think this is an amp I will live with for a looong time. I also listened to the Classe CA 101 for a while in another system I had and was pleased with it as well.
Help me find a smooth solid-state amp?
I'm currently in the market for a *smooth* solid state amp (~100-150wpc into 8ohms) to mellow out an exceedingly bright system. I currently have an Adcom GFA-5400 with Adcom preamp and Soliloquy 5.0 monitors. Front end is a Pioneer DVD/CD player. Any suggestions as to what brands I should check out? Names off the top of my head include: Aragon, Classe, Bryston, and McCormack. I'm not too sure of the actual models I should try out. I'm also not averse to buying used items. Thanks. dd