What's the greatest bargain in SET these days?


Hi, Gang,
I response to my recent review of the Reference 3A De Capo BE speaker, someone wrote that if you really want to hear them sing, you should try them with a SET amp, or words to that effect.
That got me thinking. The De Capo's are 92 db efficient, which (correct me if I'm wrong) seems kind of borderline for low-power SET amps.
In any event, right now I'm running mine with a pair of Manley Mahi mono-blocks. They are switchable from triode (20 watts) to "ultra linear" (40 watts). I run them in triode all the time, and in my room, the volume knob almost never goes past 9 o'clock; more would just be too loud.
All that said, what do you guys think of running the De Capo's with a SET amp? And if I did, what's the best bargain in SET's these days?
Thanks!
rebbi
Rebbi,
Roxy54 has a AN kit 300b with the upgraded output transformers and Jupiter Cu foil capacitors, he loves it. I would say if comes down to how much do you want to spend? Now it becomes value at a given price point.
1) Dynamo/Decware 1200.
2) AN Kit 300b 2200-3450.
3)Frankenstein 6000.
All represent money well spent at their respective cost cost.
Charles,
I am rereading this thread again, and want to thank all of you for the extraordinarily useful information contained herein!
Still leaning toward one of the Decware amps. Again, it'll depend on how much I get for my Manley gear... the Mahi's are currently for sale on Audiogon by the way.
But y'know... I was taking another look at the AudioNote kits. Their basic 300b kit runs $2200, while the tricked out version of the same amp with the fancy-pants transformers and premium parts runs $3450.
Anybody heard these?
Oops... accidental repost.... wish Audiogon had a way to delete your own posts!
I don't think I'd go this route, myself, but Audio Space makes this little guy:

http://www.gini.com/index.php?id=300bmkii

Anybody know anything about Audio Space in general or this amp in particular? Underwood sells this one for under $1800.
Rebbi, I think it is worth revisiting one very important remark in this long(ish) thread:

"10-07-14: Charles1dad
Hi Seikosha,
The limiting factors are the quality of your transformers and the stiffness of the power supply section."

Why is this important? Because - I believe - that a lot of times when people talk about an amp "running out of power" it is more a function of the power supply's ability to store/deliver power to the output tube than the amp's stated wpc. This is especially true in SET amps.

That's why we find that one 8wpc 300B SET amp can drive a specific set of speakers louder without stress than others. The transformers also play a big part in why one amp may seem to "dig deeper" or have better bass than another amp rated at exactly the same wpc.

Let me recommend Art Audio amps - across the board, this company is famous for building SET amps that drive speakers far beyond what their ratings suggest. The company prides itself on building each with an incredibly robust power supply. I've personally owned their PX-25(6 wpc) and Jota (300B/ 20 wpc).. Look up the reviews of these amps, they are some of the best...and expensive. (though, there is a used PX-25 here on A'Gon for $2.5k - a steal)

The 6 wpc PX-25 is one of the finest SET amps I have ever heard. It is truly a "reference" level component. One pro reviewer summed it up best by say saying notes sound "as if they were lit from within". It played with delicacy and power. Richness and purity. And for giggles. I even ran my 89dB/4 ohm(not a good match for SET) Jean Marie Reynaud Twins mkII moniors with it fairly often. It really didn't have much trouble at low to moderate levels. Not a lot of bass, but the mids and highs were pretty damned good at low levels.

The Jota(KR 300BXLS or AV 320B SL tubes) and especially the high-current version at 24wpc (KR VV32B tubes) will likely do really well with your speakers. Check out the professional reviews of these amps, they kick ass.