New monoblocs for Maxx II, which ones

Kurt_Tank: The Lamm M1.2 is an excellent amp, as I owned the M1.1 but the Maxx's are efficent but require lots of current. So I would opt for the M2.2's if you wanted a hybrid design. 45 watts of Class A is really all you need. My Theta Citadel easily bested the Lamm by a long shot in the bass control department and the 2ohm drops in the bass that Wilson Watt Puppy's and Maxx's do, and made the earlier M1.1's sound a little dark and constrained on top but the Lamms are still the most amazingly organic in the midrange. I owned M2.1's before the M1.1's and shouldn't have switched. The extra current is helpful.

Crna39: I totally blanked on the Pass XA series.. that is another option since this has the warmth of the Alph series but has control also. I still think the Theta, Lamm or VTL has better synergy with the Maxx's.

They aren't Exotic but I can't say how happy I am with my Theta Citadel's... The Ayre MXR are a little warmer with a little more air but the Citadels have Slamming bass control and a deeper soundstage with more detail. If I had bought the Ayre MXR's I could have been just as happy. I have heard the Halcro's also and my old Lamm M1.1's but nothing has caused me to want except for the pair of VTL S800's powering my dealers Maxx 2's with the same front end as I have except Transparent Opus (my next upgrade or Reference MM)

A very unique amplifier you might really like is the Butler Monad which is a 100Watt Hybrid Class A transistor amplifier with a a 300b in the output stage as a coupling device, they are hard to find but are unlike any other amplifier on the planet.

Mike; glad you are enjoying the MAXX II's.

the ASR is similar to the darTZeel (hard to say which is better without direct comparison.....and they may simply be different). you already have 'big' SS......so, if you want a change of pace.....my opinion is that i agree with Ralph; some tubes with a good deal of bloom would take you to another place.

i would recommend the Lamm ML2.1 as something that will be a counterpoint to where you have been. another consideration would be the Joule OTL's. both of these tube amps have very nice bloom and mid-range richness that would be like a great Single-Malt.....just right at times. but neither of these amps are rolled off or dead sounding.

my opinion is that both of those amps have their own signatures; so they are not ideal for my tastes even though i like them both.

the big tube amps like the Audio Research, VTL and others are going to be more like your ASR and 33H than different.

it's like having a Filet instead of a NY Steak......instead of having Wild Alaska King Salmon. if you are looking to go down a new path do it.

A friend of mine is using the big MBL amps and loves them. He can get almost anything and has tried a lot. I use the VTL MB750s. I agree that they have a similar sound to solid state amps he listed. I know someone who used the ASR as well and loved it. In that regard, large tube amps without excess bloom are not a bad choice. They sound accurate, realistic and powerful. Not the fastest out there. I would love to try the MBLs one day. I think the new Halcros are excellent as well. I have heard them sound amazing and also not. Setup and cables are critical.

I heard the Pass Labs XA-160s with the Watt/Puppy 7s and agree with Crna39...a blissful synergy! I ended up buying the Audio Physic Avanti IIIs..not the same Bass responce as the W.Ps but much less $$$ and I feel the speaker had an overall natural sound that escapes the W.P.s. The XA-160s were a great match for them as well.
Regards,
Greg