Uno Vs Kharma

My point was not that Kharmas are bad, that is a matter of taste, but that the amp/speaker must be considered as a combination. When one goes from low power to high power requirements, one should not expect to find a high-power equivalent, such may not exist.

I agree with Ejlif that the "problem" with the AG Duos lies in the bass. It does tend to have a bit of one note emphasis, and there can be problems making it integrate with the two horns. I do disagree just a bit on dynamics. To me good dynamic performance does not require turning up the volume to sound dynamic. In fact, that is an indication of poor dynamic performance. I find that good low powered amps can sound more dynamic than high powered amps, provided the speakers are efficient enough and one does not try for extremely high volume. I don't consider artificial edginess to be good dynamics -- natural sound is part of dynamic performance too. An overall sense of liveliness and a kind of "presence" (like the performer is right there in front of you) is what I consider good dynamic performance -- I find this to be a very rare thing with so many, even expensive, speaker/amp systems.

I have gone from a AG Duos with Audiopax 88s to a completely solid state system and couldn't be happier. I actually built the other system in another room and slowly began to relize that I liked the sound of the solid state gear better. The solid state system was Parsound JC-1s and Von Schweikert VR4Jrs. The thing that bothered me the most about the Duos was the bass was never right. I thought it sounded pretty good until I got the VS speakers sounding so good. Everytime I would listen to the Duos I would immediately be taken back by the how bad the bass was. I tweaked the Duos for three years and I put a lot of effort into it, so it was not a matter of them not being setup right. If you can believe it I find the Solid State rig to be more dynamic than the horns! The tonality is better, I give up a little in the way of 3D that you get from tubes. It's all a matter of taste. I never thought I would not be a tube guy, but this experiement with a nice solid state system has proved me wrong. I actually think they can both sound great and do.

I think it is very important the type of listening you do. Is it loud dynamic music played at fairly loud volume? If so I think the solid state rig will be prefered, but you say you love the intamacy of the low power tubes. I've never heard low power with dynamic music and not felt like there is immediately something missing. So if you listen to soft music with vocals and not to much happening in the way of dynamics you may be sorry that you don't have that tube magice that does those kinds of music so well.

Sorry to disagree with Larry,but my friend(an experienced audiophile/music lover)drives a Kharma Ceramic 1.0 to superb results withn a Rowland 8t,250 wpc.I HAVE head all types of amps on Kharmas,and DO prefer Lamm,yet the SS match my friend has is superb.In all areas.No hardness,and beautiful timbres.He had to get the Kharma speaker wire,for this though.One thing he does have is incredible bass dynamics.The Rowland is magic,for SS,and the 8t and 9t series were stunning products,but don't tell the Dartzeel crowd.

Best!

If you love the sound of your system, why trade? To me, the sound of an AG system is so completely different from the Kharma Ceramique that I can't imagine anyone liking both. For my own taste, I MUCH prefer the AG. I've listened a lot to AG Duos and find them to be pretty good speakers. By comparison, the Kharmas sound, to me, brittle and mechanical and surprisingly dynamically dull and unengaging. But, that is my personal take.

If you find a low efficiency speaker that you like, then of course you need the right kind of amp to drive them. But, it is pretty hard to find a high-powered amp of any kind, tube or solid state, that will do what a SET can do. You must audition your prospective purchases with this in mind. To make the kind of wholesale change you are thinking about, you must also audition amps at the same time; hoping to find an amp that works like a SET with a low efficiency speaker is simply not realistic.