Attention Vandersteen 5A owners/ amp matches

"I do realize with any high end component, there must be compromise." Shouldn't that be the other way? Why spend so much if you have to compromise?

I am not a 5/5A owner. However, I am very familiar with the speakers and have extensively auditioned it with the Bel 1001 MkV and Quicksilver V4's. I have also heard it with the latest generation ARC gear, the Joule at CES 05, and the Spectron Musician II. If you want a warm midbass and midrange, you do NOT want the Joule. To me it sounded spacious but left me wanting more meat. The V4 is definitely on the warmer and fuller sound of neutral compared to the other tube units. It also has a huge soundstage. The V4 is a classic old style tube amp. It is very seductive. To be fair I have heard it on two different Model 5 systems and not on the 5A. I've heard the Bel on the 5's and 5A's. For bass drive, the Bel can't be beat of the ones mentioned. Also it scores well in the detail and harmonic richness department and it also has a very big soundstage. Bel owners are true believers for life. I personally love the ARC house sound so that is where my bias is. It is pretty neutral, detailed, spacious, and dynamically agile but a little bit soft on top. Some folks would like a bit more meat on the bones than what ARC offers. The ARC house sound is leaner than what you would find with Quicksilver but much more substantial than the Joule. The way ARC handles dynamic shifts is magical to me. The ARC/5A system at CE 05 received a lot of raves. The Spectron sounds like no other amp I've ever heard so I couldn't recommend it for your tastes. But it was unbelievably dynamic, fast,had a technicolor soundstage and also had great bass response. It's greatest strength was its effortless power. It is a very exciting sounding pairing with the 5A. But you would never mistake it for a tube amplifier. Another 5A demo I heard that was very impressive was the Musical Surroundings at CES 05. The 5A was powered by a big Rowland. I believe it was a 302. That combination certainly is worth an audition. I thought it was terrific. It was powerful, dynamic, possessed 3D imaging, and a harmonically rich midrange.

What is your budget????

Hi, I have a couple of comments:
1. Regarding the comment by Jeff Jones - "The typical bass advantage of solid state is likely not much of a benifit." This is not entirely true, although his point is well made. The amp you choose is no longer directly driving your 5As. However, it's signature on the bottom end IS. So you WILL hear a difference on the bottom end even when using a HP filter and the inboard amp. Simply put, that amp will only replicate what it sees from your amp. So it's still important to have good bass in your main amp.

2. Jimburger and I know each other well and I agree with his sentiments. My top picks for the 5As are the BEL amps, Quicksilver V4s and the Theta Citadel mono-blocks. We have both heard the Citadels on my system and although I would stick with my BELs, those Citadels were darn close. Also, they may not have been fully broken in. So I would add them to the list for sure. Since they are out of the price range you mentioned you may want to try the next model down from Them and see if you like it. All of these amps are well known musical pairings. Regarding ARC, give them a listen too. Although they aren't my favorites they are very musical on Vandersteens. Just make sure you don't buy the highest power version as they tend to be less reliable than their other designs (in my personal experience).

Let your ears choose!

Anybody ever hear the 5A's with BAT tube amps?