need amplification help for sonus faber amati


Hallo everybody,

I was lucky to get a pair of SF Amati speakers.listening to them with a McIntosh mc402 and a preamp McIntosh c2200 does not satisfy me. I feel that the Amatis are just perfect for my ears but I need to amplify them better. I would like to find an amplifier and Preamp combination that makes them disapear completely. also I need a second hand combination under 10k € for money reason.
What is out there, a little bit older but still reliable (tube or solid state) that you would recommand to have a big soundstage, lots of details and enough power.
Thank you for your help,
greatings from Paris
Daniel

I also have two understanding questions:
1- the power rating seems so different between solid state and tube amps. why do I need less watts in tube amps for the same result?
2- what is more responsable for a wide soundstage: the amp or the preamp?
dacapobone
Doug, is right on with his comments on the monoblocking of the Pathos integrated. THey do a qreat job with my Sonus Faber speakers and don't even have any problem in a very, very large room 15 wide by 30 long. I bought the monoblocks after reading his review on dagogo and he was absolutely right. Two of them do a great job! rudge
I am driving my SF Guarneri with a pair of Gryphon pre/power combo with great success, and integrated from Gryphon could also serve you well.
I own the Strad's and 2x Mac MC2102 tube amps are very nice. A lot better than the SS Mac amps IMO.

If you can't find s/h in Europe, I would contact audioclassics and have them convert the voltage and ship over to you.

good luck
Bonjour Daniel,

I have the SF Strads and have spent many long months considering my options by careful listening, reading, speaking with great A'Goners (like Downunder above), Tuboo, Mihalis, Schorly and others. I recently acquired a Gryphon Antileon. It is (to my ears) a remarkable amplifier who has loved tubes for nearly 10 years straight. I still have CJ Act 2 and Zanden DAC (so still very much a tube person)...but the Antileon has added a pure tonality and limitless power and dynamics (which so far have not gotten 'hard' sounding) with which I am very pleased. I have listened carefully to krell, ARC, CJ (my old amp for 9 years), Jadis, MBL, Levinson, Cello, and others). So far I am still discovering the strengths of this amp as I type this. Hope this one man's opinion is helpful.