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

@dhcod 

Perhaps it’s your Mitsubishi’s that are "bass shy" which is the usual compromise engineers make when designing high efficiency speaker systems. Klipsch Horns and LaScala’s are a perfect example. To achieve their ultra-high efficiency, they had to compromise bass extension as in the LaScala where the minus 6dB point occurs around 50hz. Where the Klipsch Horn if not for using the side walls of the room as an extension of the horn would not be capable of it’s minus 6dB point at 38Hz.

The Cornwall on the other hand which applies a different strategy, using the same 15-inch woofer in a front ported alignment can reach down to 35Hz along with a few decibel compromise in efficiency.

Sorry for taking this in another direction. But why not just add a subwoofer? You get the keep the swwe SET amp sound, also get a lot more bass. Think it will make the SET sound even better. 

On the note of speakers, like Klipsch, they are all short excersion woofers, they will never make the bass most people want. The bass is tight and accurate, with low distortion, but it will not shake the walls. If you get it to shake the walls, you can not be in the room.

I've had some very good solid state amps- Luxman 550 and 590, Coda, McIntosh, etc, and I keep gravitating back to tubes. Consider either a subs, or a pair of subs, or like someone above said, getting another amp for when the mood strikes to rattle out the mailman dentures with you bass.

What are the speakers you are using?

I don't know, but if you are new to the sport you might have to buy and sell or dmo to find the sound that best suits you. Many have "wasted" lots of time and money doing that! 

Good luck!