Tonyjack is right on the money with tubes being a heavenly match with the snell e III's! I was originally powering my e III's with an Aragon 4004 mk II power amp and 18K preamp. Great combination that everyone knows about and is a 200 watt powerhouse. However, I recently came across an absolute steal on a beautiful little Italian Synthesis Nimis 15 watt integrated amp. Go to the Synthesis Art in Audio website to check out this beauty. Anyhow, I installed a matched quad of the awesome new TAD EL84-STR power tubes, and the jawdropping sound that emerged from the e III's when I dropped the needle on Melody Gardot's wonderful new album was breathtaking! This little 15 watter put my 200 watt Aragon to shame. The Synthesis Nimis was so full bodied, spacious and dynamic. Vocals were incredibly realistic, with such body,lushness and tons of 3 dimensional detail. This little tube amp brought out all of the wonderful qualities of the Snells that much more. The solid state Aragon sounded two dimensional and dry in comparison. I've since relegated my Aragon to home theater duties.
Tubes with your e III's...definitely give it a try, you won't be disappointed!
Tubes with your e III's...definitely give it a try, you won't be disappointed!