Tubelike SS Power amp


Looking to mate tube pre with SS power amp based on input off this board. Want to get warm sound and need high current for relatively inefficient Ohm Walsh 2 speakers...100 wrms@8ohm target power. Suggestions?
joekapahulu

Showing 2 responses by redwoodgarden

Nelson Pass makes a great sounding pure class A amplifier series with the prefix of "XA" that sounds exactly like the best tube amplifiers, but are actually solid state. They sound like tube amplifiers due to the class A configuration. Warning... they run hot as hell, because of the high bias, and your electric bill will burn a hole in your pocket as well. Their cost to watt ratio is very high with a 30 watt stereo amp costing over $5,000 and a pair of 60 watt mono blocks run about $11,000. The pair of 100 watt amps are out of sight for most of us, but go for it if you have the money. The wattage of this series can go higher than 100 watts. You can check these out if you are rich. In conclusion the XA series would be great for efficient speakers like horns, and for the rich with inefficient speakers.
Tvad: I have never owned a tube amp, but I was going to buy one until I heard the Pass XA amps. The advantage of the Pass amp is that it sounds like a tube amp (IMO), but without the hassle of dealing with tubes. Why did you switch from tube amps with their three dimensionality to the Pass XA.5 amp? Which tube amps did you have that had the three dimensionality that you liked? I have not bought a new amp yet, and I'm still up in the air about tubes vs. SS. I have Khorns so I need the laid back, three dimensional sound of tubes. What would you recommend?