Tekton Double Impacts

Brotw,
I believe that you’ll be very happy with either the Triode Labs 2A3 SET or the Line Magnetic 218i a 845 SET amplifiers. It seems that the 218ia is a scaled down version of the 518ia. Some people have some hesitation about LM because it’s a Chinese product. I believe there’s ample evidence that LM is a genuine high quality line.

Triode Labs has earned a very good reputation for being a high quality manufacturer. I can see the attraction to the higher power offered by the 845 tubed LM 218ia. It may be a question of what sound do you want? Well implemented 2A3 or 845. I happen to like the sound of a good 845 SET, Teajay on the other hand doesn’t like the 845 sound. As is usually the case it’s a matter of preference.

I have no doubt the 2A3 SET driving the DI sound as good as Teajay described. Factoring in value/-performance, a used LM 218ia would be tough to beat. Putting better quality tubes in the amplifier (particularly the 12AX7 in the preamp section) would be very cost effective. I’m not sure if the preamp section is by passable for use with a separate preamplifier. I believe that both of these manufacturers pay appropriate attention to power supply and transformer quality which make or break when it comes to a  sucessful SET amplifier design. 
Charles

Brody,

I've used both the Raven Blackhawk and Torii mkIV with the DI's and they are very nice amps. I prefer driving the DI's with the LTA MZ2 and will add either the Triode Labs 2A3S FFX or a LTA amp later this year.

If you're looking for a used Torii mkIV that is nearly new let me know as I haven't gotten around to selling mine yet, but I would suggest going the SET route with an MZ2. The MZ2 sound is very fast, dynamic, detailed and organic and from what I'm told a SET will add even more texture while breathing more life into the music. While I'm very satisfied with using the MZ2 alone there are times I wish for a bit more power and I'm very interested in hearing that SET magic on the DI's. 

I also see a LM508ia (euro 220v version) that comes with a 1000 watt transformer. Is the transformer/ 220V version an issue or should I just  pull the trigger on this one to pair with the DI's? I'm guessing this is a large improvement over a LM218ia

Brotw,
From all indications I’m aware of the 508ia is a higher tier amplifier in all regards compared with the 218ia. No put down of the 218ia at all. According to fellow audiogoners Wig and Waltersalas the 508ia (805 tube) is extraordinarily good. I trust both of them given their long track records on this site. Good ears and experienced with many high end products. Only thing is I'm not sure about transformer voltage conversion/compatibility. 

Charles

Right Charles, no doubt about the 508ia. Something tells me I need to be patient and wait for a higher quality used set integrated without the 220/120 conversion issue.