Power Amps for Kharma

after living with Kharma's on both Tenor OTL's and Hybrids, and spending considerable time listening to Kharma's on Lamm tubed and hybrid amps....you owe it to yourself to try Kharma's with the DarTZeel NHB-108's. i just spent 4 months with the DarTZeel on the 4 ohm Midi Exquisite's in my very large room......all i can say is WOW!

not that there is any 'one' best amp......but it would be difficult to imagine a better overall match for the Kharma 3.2's......which are a much easier load than the Midi Exquisite's i was using. the DarTZeel sounds less ss than the Lamm Hybrids.....yet has a lower percieved noise floor than the Lamm and has the inner textures of the Tenor Hybrid.

i strongly recommend an audition of the DarTZeel.

if you want a little more of a 'lush' sound (only compared with the DarTZeel) then the Tenor Hybrids would be my top choice.

i would add that any of the Lamm's are excellent matches with the Kharma's.

i have both the Tenor Hybrids and the DarTZeel in my room now.

as far as some of your questions regarding bass performance on Kharma's, tube 'watts', adding subs, the whole ss and tube 'sound' issue, SET vs PP.....e-mail me and we can talk more about my experiences. i type too slow for any kind of coherent answer on so wide a range of questions.

Henry, Kharma's are not generally a good match for the typical SET amp since SET's (in general) have some coloration (warmth) to the sound that the amazing clarity of the Kharma's reveals as distortion. also, SET's are typically less extended both in top and bottom than a push-pull tube design and the Kharma's can take advantage of that extention that non-SET's provide.

i would say that the Lamm ML2.1 is an SET that certainly does not fall into the 'typical SET' type warm sound......although 18 watts will be marginal in other ways.

the Kharma 3.2's will be ruthless with any sort of edgy amp or warm amp....the price of clarity. the 3.2's will tell you exactly what any amp is truely doing. people that complain that Kharma's are 'too lean' sounding are typically dealing with an amp with less refinement and naturalness than the Kharma's need.

Thanks a lot Mike (I presume). I have heard about the DarTZeel though not sure if I can audtion or purchase them from where I live, Hong Kong: will check. By the way, I own the 2.3F which are a 3 way with the focal tweeter, not the new diamond tweeter: is it worth upgrading to the diamond? I did try the 3.2s and like them a lot but thot the bottom end as a tad weak: the 2.3F was better in this area....though the Midi Equisite is probably even better: but alas out of my price range at the time and plus my listening room is not huge anyway (though not all that small either). Also, what a great system and especially room of yours! I am dying with envy.

the new kharma amps will blow any of these away...u gotta hear them...better than the LAMMS, TENORs, LINNS..i ordered a pair myself

"the new kharma amps will blow any of these away...u gotta hear them...better than the LAMMS, TENORs, LINNS.."

Iujona: Please contact me offline. I've just gotta find out what it is you're smoking.