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Maybe Leaving SET for Solid State because I want bass

Looking for a recommendation of an amp to power a pair of 12 in 2 way bass reflex studio monitor with 96db sensitivity. My SET amp sounds lovely and pure but is bass shy. Looking for a sweet solid state amp with some slam. I've heard my setup with a pair of Herron Monos and a Pass Sit-3. Herron had the bass but was otherwise unsatisfying. Pass was a little lean. Budget is $3-5K on the used market. Even something on the lower cost end that would give me a taste of what I'm looking for as proof of concept would be great to start out with.

Thanks in advance!

dhcod
ghdprentice's avatar
ghdprentice
9,397 posts
 

I wouldn’t go to solid state... I’d go to a higher wattage tube amp. I’d look at a CJ or ARC, VAC. 

However, slam... the brick wall chest thumping bass is something different. It is the somewhat unnatural lean midrange or upper bass and huge surge of current. Kind of the mark of solid state. While exhilarating... I have never experienced it in the real world. A good tube amp will give you full and articulate bass, Maybe that is what you want. 

dhcod OP
717 posts
 

Thanks everyone. These are all good point. I'm going to try the Atma-Sphere D amps. They are small enough to rotate in when I'm in the mood. In any case it will be a good experiment.

snookhaus
23 posts
 

Another option is to consider a tube preamp and SS amp. When I had my speaker setup that is where I found my sweet spot. I had an  LTA pre and  a GaN amp. 

decooney
2,564 posts
 

@cfarrow @decooney, I agree with your recommendation.  I use a pair of JL Audio subs with my 45, 2a3 and 300b amps in the past and didn’t miss a beat.  I typically favor sealed enclosures and felt the JL’s had the speed and bass tightness to open up the soundstage and give me all the lower bass I needed.

What I like most about quality subs paired with a nice tube amp setup paired with reasonably matched main speakers - I don’t find myself hunting different audio tracks.  Sealed or ported, or plug the ports when needed. Look at the high-end audio shows and what they use too.  

My tube monblocks are 100wpc or 120wpc depending on which output tubes are used, and produce plenty of power, and yet if we want low end reinforcement at low volume levels, nice and accurate little sub(s) can sure make the entire tube amp or SS experience even better. yes  I turn my dual subs off once in a while to hear the mains, and sure its good, yet end up turning them back on eventually. :) 

soix
11,230 posts
 

You might wanna give this Valvet E3 Class A amp a look before pulling the trigger on the GaN amps as it’s pretty amazing and much cheaper.  It’s a low-powered design that should still have enough juice to power your speakers and is billed as a single-ended solid state design that may well appeal to you.  Read the stellar reviews.  Best of luck. 

https://www.usaudiomart.com/details/650175757-valvet-e3-amplifier/

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