kwr said:
We have put high grade tubes (Audio Aero monoblocs) on the panels of our Monoliths and were distinctly underwhelmed compared to Plinius amplification. I suspect high grade powerful pushpull valve architecture would be significantly better than the 40W SET in this context but again there are good solid state solutions. Tubes are very system dependent and often cost a lot more than similarly effective solid state and require maintenance/replacement etc.
We have listened to Krell, Classe, Plinius in powerful solid state and the Plinius is the most 'tube like' without the soft focus vocals that are a feature of a lot of tubed amplification.
Like we have stated here, each to their own in regards to components.
Back a few months, with all the talk about how ML's really sing with tube amps, I had to try them out myself. I tried VTL, ARC, Cary, CJ, & Quicksilver amps on my setup. Each had nice midrange to varying degrees, but lacked in either low end control, and/or rolled off highs. I just could not find a tube amp that I really liked. Then, I tried the Plinius SA-102 and here was an amp that had tube like mids, but also provided control and authority in the bass (not easy with the CLS) and also extended nicely into the high end without that typical solid state treble sound - in Class A mode. A/B has some slight solid state brightness to it, but nothing like some of the other solid state ams. With the 102, Class A is selectable so you do not have an extra space heater running all the time. There were some other solid state amps that I tried, and they just did not compare to the Plinius. While there might have been some other tube amps I could have tried, once I heard the Plinius mated up with my ARC Tube Pre, my search stopped.
Dan
