Tab, The SL3s are great speakers, but if you love the SET sound, you'll have to spend LOTS of bucks for hi-power SET amps or consider the pain of bi-amping with SET on top and hi-power amps on the bass. However, getting good matching can be a nightmare. Eventually, you'll probably have to go with a great Cary amp and a pair of super-efficient dynamic and/or horn speakers. The Silverlines are quite good, as are the Coincident speakers. However, the Cary 805s are still necessary most of the time with these efficient, hi-impedance speakers. Any less power will be frustrating if you like to push it occasionally. Goodluck.
SL3 driven better w/ rogue or wolcott am
I'm currently trying to upgrade. I have a pair of ML SL3's they are great.I have in my possesion rogue audio m-120, also audio electronic supply SE-845 SET. The rogue is 120 watts ultra.& 90 watts triode.The SE-845 is brand new from the cary parts house and is my first encounter with set amps. The SET is 32 watts & will barely drive my SL3's so I got a tube AE-3 preamp from the cary boys to increase my gain. It works lovely but i'm at a loss for exactly what i want. The rogue has more power thus not needing the preamp but on the other hand the rogue doesn't have the smooth,liquid sound of the SET. Then I here of the wolcott which I here has all the goodies of SET plus the dynamics of ss or push pull tube amps.The SET from the cary boys seems to be just a litte on the warm side. If I could get some of the goods from what I like about the SET & the goods of the rogue push pull I think I might could be happy for a while ( is any audiophlie ever truly happy with system)Could someone whose been where i'm at now please shed a little insight concerning the three amps & there sound. I've even cosidered selling the SL3's to accomadate the SET amps & replacing with silverline speakers, because I think I do like the sound of the SET overall but need a little more dynamics if new speakers will help then that will sovle my problem.But so many philes swear don't sell the SL3's, You'll be sorry they say. Their suggestion is the wolcott with SL3's if this is some of you guys opions out there,please let me know where to get my hands on one of these miracle amps (the wolcott that is). Thanks