I have owned my SL3s since 1997 and I have tried a lot of different amps with them. They really need 90 to 100 wpc to be driven well. I have tried a 50 wpc amp and they sounded all closed in and a little distorted. They were pushing the amp into clipping. I had a pair of Cary SLMs in my system at one point and that was a nice match. A little more on the tubey side than my ARC. All point to point wiring. The Manley amps are also really nice sounding amps. I have also tried Solid State amps like the PLINIUS SA102. While not bad sounding I really prefer the SL3s with tubes. I also think they sound better with a triode design. My suggestion would be to consider buying used. All the manufacturers that have been mentioned have made some great amps. They can be picked up used for a fraction of the original cost.
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- 11 posts total
- 11 posts total