SET amp comparable to First Watt SIT 1?

Sal is right in that the very high sensitivity of the Volti Vittoria makes all of the low power DHT tubes viable options. The problem is which one? There are countless threads on numerous audio forums regarding this genre of tubes,. Everyone has their favorite, some say that the 45 is better than both the 2A3 and 300b,. Others insist the rarer 50 is superior, another person would be an advocate for the PX 25, it never ends. You could spend half a lifetime sampling the vast world of SET amplifiers given the plethora of choices in the marketplace.

Say that an 2A3 SET were chosen, which particular one? They all do not sound the same. Tmare has specifically on two occasions expressed a desire to go with the 300b. I would try to hear the Border Patrol (top of his own current list) and use that SET amplifier as a point of reference and go from there.  Honestly any of the DHT  tubes mentioned above in the hands of a talented builder and high level implementation will yield an excellent SET amplifier. 
Good luck,
Charles

That's right.  All amps sound different.  All tube types sound different.  Choosing a particular amp is very much a personal choice, and there are no absolutes here about one specific tube or topology being best.  One has to listen to a variety of different amps before making a final choice.  In my case, if I had bought the Vittoras and I came close to doing so, I would have used my 46 SE amps which have even less power than the 2A3.  I am pretty sure the 46 amps would have sounded great and would have had more than enough power for my needs, but I suppose I will never know that for certain.

Hello Sal,
I agree. That’s the fun and (potential) frustration, there  are many good choices/paths available 😊.
Charles

If you're going to stick to a 300b you do have several options. normally a 300b can only make about 7 watts. You will need more power unless your room is a small one, or if you only listen to light chamber music or solo guitar. Musical peaks take real power! My speakers are 98 db (and don't use a subwoofer but are good to 20 Hz) and I find that 30 watts isn't enough; 60 watts works a lot better. I don't play the system particularly loud either- I just like it to sound as real as possible.

You might consider an Electra Fidelity
http://www.electrafidelity.com/a3-500/
It operates class A3, a class of operation invented by Jack Elliano (who makes the Electra-Print transformers). It offers a few more watts, all of which will be precious when working with a speaker at this level of efficiency. The Class A3 operation also offers lower distortion.

Agree,
The Electra Fidelity 300b SET ìs very good sounding.
I listened to it driving the Cessaro horn speakers in the High Water Sound room for an extended session during CES a few years ago. No doubt that it’s very natural and convincing. It filled a pretty large space with realistic beautiful and engaging music reproduction. Many good SET choices.
Charles