Balanced Low Power Tube Monoblocks?

Thanks Kurt_tank.

I had forgotten about the Lamms. They'd be stunning, and I'd love to own a
pair.

Frankly, they're considerably more than I want to spend. While I don't have a
firm price in mind, under $5k would be preferred, and less if possible. Price
will be a moving target.

I don't have a minimum power requirement, but not much is required. They'd
be used with 100+db speakers.

It's all "what if" list compiling at the moment. Nothing definite.

Question: What speakers are you going to be using them with?
Kurt_tank (Threads | Answers)

Since nothing is definite, I'm not going to get into specifics, but the idea is high sensitivity. There are a few manufacturers under consideration: Audiokinesis, Daedalus, Zu Audio, among others.

Again, it's a moving target.

I may end up staying with what I have.

09-02-09: Swampwalker
Tvad- Let's see, balanced mono-block 60 wpc max.

I should have left this open ended.

You guys are taking the max power rating too literally, and I failed to mention
in the initial post that my intention was to use the monoblocks with high
sensitivity loudspeakers.

With high sensitivity loudspeakers, more than 60 wpc would be overkill.

If leaving the max power rating open ended produces more suggestions, then
let's assume no max power rating requirement.

Thanks, T_bone. That is right in the wheelhouse. Any idea of the approximate cost for a single unit (used)?

Quicksilver is a brand that interests me. Their products are well regarded, and their pricing is reasonable, IMO.

Raquel, the VAC 70/70 is certainly a fine amp, but it has three things that do
not fit the profile of what I'm seeking, which is monoblock configuration,
balanced operation, and no 300B tubes (cost prohibitive to maintain...IMO).

I used a pair of VAC 160 MusicBloc amps with my present speakers (Silverline
Sonata III), and frankly the match was not optimal. Of course, I realize the
70/70 is a different animal.

What speakers are you driving with the VAC amp?

How loudly do you listen, and what type of music do you primarily enjoy?

Thanks Raquel.

My equipment rack is along a side wall and near the back of the room, so I run 30 foot interconnects (rather than 30 foot speaker cables). Therefore, monoblocks are preferred.

Rleff, there are several good ideas!

09-05-09: Sbank
Can't you just as easily place a stereo amp between the speakers with short
speaker cables, and run the long interconnect around the room to your rack
containing the pre and sources?

Yes, I can, but it's not the installation that we prefer from a standpoint of
aesthetics.

You can get long runs of Mogami custom-terminated with XLR on one end and RCA on the others.

I've made these myself in the past. Yes, it's a possibility. Frankly, though, I hear little difference between XLR>RCA interconnects, and XLR>XLR cables using adapters. I have never detected the sound degradation that so many others comment on. Sometimes I wonder if the so-called sound degradation when using adapters has grown into a myth through a version of "telephone" where readers simply repeat what they've read without actually trying it for themselves.

In any case, I believe there's a benefit to running balanced if it's possible to do so.

... the VAC rens, the Quicksilver Triodes, or the
Dehavilland Aries 845G all make sense, as well as the Atma
M60s...

Yes, these are all heavy contenders. I'm also considering Rogue M-150
monoblocks.

My present speakers dip to about 4.5 ohms. The Atma-Sphere M-60 do not
work with these, and the Dehavilland are probably underpowered.

Ultimately, different speakers are in the future, but how far into the future is
unclear. In fact, the amplifier purchase might be deferred until the new
speakers are acquired, but I was thinking that I might be able to find an amp
that I could use with my present speakers until new speakers are purchased.

I realize I may be asking too much.

I tried Speltz Zeroformers with the M-60 amps. I didn't care for the sound.

Thanks everyone for some excellent suggestions.

At this point, I'm going to wait a few months and revisit a speaker change
before purchasing a different amp.

Almarg, can you point to a solid state amplifier model that mentions output impedance in the specifications?

I've done only a quick search, but neither Pass Labs nor Bryston publish this information.

The Audio Mirror amps do seem like a good deal. Thanks for pointing them
out.

I decided to break the rules and buy a pair of single ended George Wright
Signature AU-15 monoblocks.

George made great, underrated stuff. I owned a WPP200C phono preamp,
and spoke with George on a few occasions. It was a bit of a sentimental
purchase.

Thanks, Joe. Now, for the 2A3 tube vetting...

Thanks for the suggestions, Al.