What are the best tube amps for Klipschorns?

You may want to consider the best of both worlds. An amp like the HK Citation II @ 60 wpc. It has solid state rectification with tube output. These amps give the great bass punch that you get from SS combined with the warm, revealing mids that you get with tubes. Good compromise choice.

No, its even simpler.. Top end and mids maybe should have low power tubes for best dimension, and Big bass drivers should have solid state.. This seperates power supplies, and frequency demands of the weak points on both technologies, well its not perfect, but as close as we can come with a little experimentation.. I will be running my full range hopefully in the next 2 weeks with Pure Class A tubes on the mids up, and my Bass Line arrays on 700 watts of Solid state... In order to get that type of power and control on woofers for about 100 hz down would seem that it is a waste of time, money, Heat and Dozens of tubes to do what a cheaper solid state can do to take full control of bass drive for no heat, very little money, and just as good of tone down low, pure reliability with plenty of impact.

Thanks for your replys guys!!!!!!

Boa2,
I was wondering what tube pre amps you've paired with a SS amp & Klipschorns and the results you've encountered?

Thanks.

Andre74,
Of the tube preamps we've tried, we like the Lamm LL2 Deluxe most. It is not for the analytical listener, in my opinion, because you distinctly hear the music and not signature of the component. Reviewers describe it as organic sounding, and I would agree. Like great musicians, I tend to lean toward audio components that are so good at playing to the song that they don't stand out in the group.

Hope that helps.

Hi Boa2, you're certainly not in trouble with me! I can't say about whatever god(s) :)

OTOH, I have to admit that I am used to slightly different tube amps than the ones you describe. With full power down to 1 or 2 Hz I have yet to hear a transistor amp that comes even close. I totally get that its not about the power (despite that I find that putting an amp with excess power on a speaker like this helps even if you never use the power). I find when I put a good transistor amp on the speaker that I am turning up the volume in vain to try to get it to play punch. The tubes do it effortlessly at any volume, and I have run this comparison many times and in different environments.

So we have been hearing very different things, but the amps that I use didn't appear in your list.

All the Best

-Ralph