Is there a Solid State amp that can satisfy a SET guy?


Have been a SET guy for so long I have forgotten what a good SS amp even sounds like.
Just bought a pair of $33k speakers that will replace my current $16k speakers. Both are from the same designer and both are 92db and a flat 8 ohms. The new ones arrive in 4 days!
My 300B based amps well drive my current speakers even though I do use the system nightly as a 2 channel home theater. Especially considering the HT usage, I think I may enjoy a SS amp with many times the horsepower. The speaker designer suggests using a Leema Hydra II. I have written to Leema telling them of my 300B preference and they assure me that their amp does not have the destructive harmonics that make a SS amp bright. There must be other SS amps that can satisfy?
mglik

Showing 9 responses by geoffkait

cd318
It does seems logical that the added distortion of tubes could be likened to the mildly loosening effect of a sonic screwdriver, giving the soundstage the gentlest lack of focus that many find delightful but which will inevitably also lead to a lessening of impact.

>>>>Do you write this stuff yourself? 😬
austinstereo
As a result of being in sales and service of audio gear for a very long time, we have yet to encounter a solid state amp that can match a tube amp in terms of warmth and space. Just as true, we have yet to encounter a tube amp that has the tautness and attack of a solid state amp. A push pull tube unit is a bit more of a happy medium between the two extremes.

>>>>>You might consider widening your search as a good tube amp will meet your requirements for tautness and attack, obviously the usual audiophile protocols must be followed, you know, room treatments, EMI/RFI treatments, vibration isolation, etc. as a large part of the sound ultimately is a function of “system engineering.” “Plug and play” only gets you so far. 
I’ve been in shows with the Parasound amps and they’re very very good in terms of neutrality and channel separation and overall sound.

grey9hound
geoffkait
Decouple the amps mechanically from the floor.
I HIGHLY recommend Sistrum Apprentice platforms.
I have them under my Tekton Double Impact speakers.
IMO they are Excellent
http://www.starsoundtechnologies.com/SistrumApprentice.php

>>>>Actually, the guys at Starsound don’t believe in isolation/decoupling, their stands work on a different principle, for better or worse. The Sistrum is what I call a “shedder.”
The grass is always greener. Solid state can’t compete with tubes for air and sweetness, sorry.
It’s a whole different paradigm. Apples 🍎 and watermelons 🍉