Amp for Apogee Stage's

Doctor,

Have you owned the Apogee Stage? I found it a considerably easier load than the Duetta, and by a long shot, the Scintilla. RGocin knows what I'm talking about.

There are people happily using tube gear on all Apogees, but the Scintilla. There were people very upset at me for buying a Scintilla. One wrote, "Now, you will have to use solid state, and you will never be happy."

You know, I think he was right. I was not satisfied with the sound of solid state.

ICE powered amps provide the same naturalness as great tube amps do, adding prodigious power, speed, and dynamics. The H2O, with it's large analog power supply, leads the pack IMO.

It has been reviewed by 6Moons

http://www.6moons.com/audioreviews/h2o/m250.html

I have a friend driving her Stages to great effect with Plinius 8200 Integrated.

Back in the day, Apogee had some Meitner MTR101 MkI or MKII monos driving the Divas at shows. These beautiful little amps are high current, inexpensive and can cope with any impedance the Stages could throw their way. There's folks doing mods on them for even better performance, but a pair won't set you back over 1k or so.

Murahman1,

Yes - one of my current systems is an Apogee Mini-Grand.

I've done extensive testing with several amps - monitored
the voltage and impedance... I've seen the response of
tube amps vis-a-vis solid state.

I currently drive the Apogee ribbons with a Class A
'x'-series stereo Krell.

Dr. Gregory Greenman
Physicist

Muralman1,

I'm not saying that one can't use tubes - or that one won't
achieve a satisfactorily sounding system.

I'm saying that the impedance dips of the Stages, although
not in the same class as the Scintilla - ARE there and that
has an effect.

Although it doesn't sound bad - one may even have a preference -
but when you encounter an impedance dip - and the output
of the tube amp sags somewhat - then you just are not
ACCURATE!!

Some may like the sound - it rounds off the "edges" - gives
you a more "liquid" sound - but it's not accurate - real
music does have edges.

If one is a stickler for accuracy - then one is more likely
to find that with solid state on something like the Stages -
although I reiterate - there are plenty of tube amps that
can handle the Stages without blinking - but they cost.

Then there are tubes that are not as beefy - but they
sound nice to some even though they are struggling to
provide the current into the relatively low impedance load.

Tubes are generally more happy with the higher impedance
speakers.

Dr. Gregory Greenman
Physicist

Doctor,

I'm the wrong person to be defending tubes. The only ones left in my stereo chain are in my DAC.

And, I won't be defending solid state either. My PWM monos have buried any interest I may have had in the best of them.

Both types of conventional amps have too many negatives.

You are right about edges. The PWM amps have sharp edges, only approximated by solid state. The PWM H2O out powers my former Pass X-600. The H2O digs deeper into the Bass, and with complete control. There is so much more information unveiled.