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

@atmasphere 

As a result of your distractive and defensive posture to my original premise "What is arbitrary is how tube amplifier manufacturers publish specifications which provide no valuable information to the consumer to compare one manufacture's product to another.". I've decided to bow out of this conversation and leave it as is after your comment - "Get a variac for heaven’s sake!" with it's context and let my fellow Audiogon subscribers, if they so choose, evaluate this exchange for themselves.

@faustuss You seem to be making it my fault about something you claim is universal with all tube amp manufacturers. I've simply corrected erroneous statements in your posts. That is not a reflection on who you are FWIW, or what I think of you. Its simply a matter of getting things straight. 

You didn't explain what was meant by an OTL driving resistors. Atma-Sphere is the oldest OTL manufacturer in the world; no-one has ever made a comment like that to me so it piqued my curiosity. 

Its a simple fact that if one is measuring an amplifier and their AC line has insufficient current then there will be a Voltage drop which should be corrected if one wants to make accurate measurements. A typical home AC line is 15 Amps. If you are measuring an amplifier that really should be plenty of current for all but the very largest of amps made. Our MA-3 makes 500 Watts and is able to run on a 15 Amp line; a 1000 Watt solid state amp could too so I really do not understand what your beef is. At any rate anyone doing such tests should have access to a variac. Its a basic sort of thing when doing test and measurement.  

"much broader question regarding the validity of what the industry wants us to know"

would be good to see some clarification on:

1. Who is Industry? names, designers, standards etc.

2. Who is “us”.

@tomcarr Another vote for a couple of powered subs.

That's what subs are for.

That's what I added to my B&W 803 D3s.

Transformed my system.

Certainly more than any amp change.

Yep, agree, and its kind of a no-brainer to buy / try / return if it does not work out.  

I don't know of too many who've bought the right-sized higher quality sub(s) and returned them.  I prefer my mains NOT having to cover all ends of the spectrum, and keeping them more focused above 60hz is an advantage to the mains. 

Its puzzling when someone believes they must force the main speakers to do it all, and not trying a high quality subwoofer to offload some of the work. I've run my dual subs with 10w SET amps before, and set hz/gain accordingly for a seamless blend. To know it is to try it or miss out perhaps :) 

 

Its puzzling when someone believes they must force the main speakers to do it all, and not trying a high quality subwoofer to offload some of the work. I've run my dual subs with 10w SET amps before, and set hz/gain accordingly for a seamless blend. To know it is to try it or miss out perhaps :) 

This.