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Silicon Under 60, Slim Pickings?

I bought a tube amplifier because lower wattage SS amps are hard pickings. I'm driving FAL Flat Supreme S Speakers. 95db, 8W min tubes, 50W SS, max 60W

As daily driver a custom 8W Triode Lab EL84 amplifier, the sole valve amp I've liked(more assertive than the mean) ; however I'm thinking of returning to the silicon camp. My speakers are craving power and me a more tactile sound. I'm not a fan of the romanticism of tubes nor sand hardware voiced the same for that matter. Timbre top priority, sound-staging last.

The recent developments in Class-D have caught my attention but I feel left out; were I to mate a pair of 400W monos with my speakers there would be fireworks, no? What options do I have without exceeding 60w? My system is in a state of upheavel so I'm looking at anything between power amps to fully integrated DAC/Integrated. Perhaps a full Exogal Comet/Ion system but I'm concerned about the wattage again. That should give an idea of my absolute max budget wise. 3.5-4K Less is more.
redfuneral

Showing 2 responses by zd542

zd542
5,339 posts
 
"What options do I have without exceeding 60w?"

A volume control. It really doesn't matter how powerful the amp is.
zd542
5,339 posts
 
You're not going hurt your speakers with a more powerful amp. If your speakers are under strain from too much power/volume, its very easy to hear, and all you need to do is lower the volume. Its much easier to do damage if you under power them. Not only that, no 2 companies measure power the same way. One brands 50 watts may be another
's 100 watts, or even 20 watts. It all depends on how they measure.

An integrated amp you may want to consider is an Ayre CX-7. It's sound is difficult to describe because it doesn't really sound like anything else, tube or SS. If you find one to demo, I think it would be well worth your time.

Other posters recommended Pass. That's also a good choice. The only thing I would add, is to not overlook the Aleph series. Even though they're older, they still sound great. A 3, 5, or a 0s would be a good match.

A BAT 300ix and a VAC Avatar would be worth looking at, as well.
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