VTL ST-150 w/ B&W

I wouldn't put an EQ anywhere near my system.

Thanks Dennis...I am moving away from being worried about losing bass, the magic you get from tubes in other areas is just totally worth it. The single most important attribute to me at this point in my audio career is undoubtedly midrange. I like it liquid, wet and delicious. : )

The 5.5 I have gave me my first taste of what tubes are capable of doing and I am glad I got infected. Its special. Anyway, I just want to make sure to get the most out of the amp and want to speaker match it properly.

Do you have any VTL equipment?

davt-what about the st 150 for the 805s?

What were you impressions of the 185s?

Verity's are very special, especially the Parsifal. What I am trying to accomplish is a simple system, so your suggestion of an integrated is a good one and has been explored. But I want as much power as I can afford on whatever speaker I choose, so the st-150 seemed like a neat match up to the 805s. No getting much bass out of the speaker anyway, so why not tube it anyway. Otherwise I feel like I would always expect more.

I would love a monitor that is able to reveal as much information as possible, not sure if the B&W is the best choice. Although it is a great little monitor.

So based on what you have said the st-150 would be a great middle ground between the IT85 and MB185?

Going today to listen to it on both sets of speakers...I brought my DAC with me so I can get an authentic feel for it. Considering I have the 5.5 and they have that I will basically be listening to exactly what I would potentially buy.

I will post my thoughts.

Ordered an st-150 today with upgraded MIT Multicaps right out of the gate. Dealer gave me an st-85 until the 150 comes in. I gotta tell ya, I don't know what took me sooooo long to realize that it was tubes I was looking for. I am absolutely thrilled with the sound character I am getting out of this combination, and it is fufilling everything SS gear always left me longing for. If this little 85 is any indication as to what I am in for with the st-150 I am just tickled pink.

Jdec- I would say without a doubt the st-85 drives these speakers with ease. I have been listening for two days straight now and I don't see it caving in on any of the different music I play through it.

The differences I hear from the SS gear is basically..The sterility is completely gone, and ANY sibilance I experienced is also completely gone. The tube combination just sounds smooth, relaxed, with excellent dynamic peaks, and the sound stage to be quite honest is wider on this st-85 than my Full Peanut Butter Krell 400cx. Bold statement? Yes, but true, and this st-85 costs thousands less. Bass representation to me excellent, and I mean excellent. Does it SLAM? Not really, a little chubbier than slammer-type bass, but very tight, not rolled off, and IMO properly represented. It makes these speakers sound bigger than they are thats for sure.

If I had to characterize one single thing that is different from SS I would say speed (which could also be referred to as PACE RHYTHM and TIMING) are different. Being overall slower with tubes, allowing the listener a chance to follow the performance better, and thus get involved in it more.

I have Madonna La Isla Bonita (not what I usually listen to) cranked right now, and it sounds the best I have ever heard it sound tonally.

I would say for me, it was about realizing that you will never find a SS piece of gear that is a musically satisfying as equiv. tube gear, and you will never find a piece of tube gear that satisfies like SS can in Bass and accuracy etc. In the end I made a decision to let go of chasing the SS dream, and worrying about 'loss of bass' like some will claim with Tubes. I personally don't hear it, I think the bass is better actually. But I am glad I made the switch, and this little amp with 805s is an excellent combination, I wait to hear the difference with the st-150 and upgraded caps.

Dennis, I agree the bass is good to excellent with VTL, very satisfying for me personally. And I am coming from Krell, so that should mean alot.

I find he dynamics and transparency to be very good though. Granted this is my first tubed system, so maybe there is better. But it is certainly better than the equipment I had prioir to this.