Building the Audio Note Kit 1 SET amp...

With subs its up to the buyer to do the integration to their satisfaction. It takes some time and discipline but is doable usually. Ive done it to my satisfaction in the past but it required a lot of focus and a clear goal it can be done by ear or with help of tools designed for the task. Rebbi built his own amp so i suspect he would get it done well. Its just audio though not life and death. Lots of ways to skin the cat.

Regarding the possibility of adding a sub, in addition to the concerns about integration that have been raised I would have some concern that the high pass filter and other circuitry in the sub, that would be in the path between the preamp and the SET amp, might noticeably compromise the SET magic.

And then of course there is the cost of the sub, which would be purely an additional cost rather than a cost that could be offset, at least partially, by selling the existing speakers or amp.

FWIW, although under the great majority of circumstances I am in the "build the system around the speakers" camp, in this particular set of circumstances, all things considered, as I indicated in Charles' system description thread where this has been under discussion my vote would be for a speaker replacement.

Best regards,
-- Al

Grannyring,
Your right - Knowing the thrill of building audio equipment my comments are based on how Rebbi must feel about building that amp. I dont have knowledge of all the amp topologies available but if one can build an a amp that can drive the Decapos but also sound like a 300b SET amp I am all in! And I agree it is more difficult to shop for speakers than an amp.

Rebbi has to decide which route he wants to travel. Sub woofer, new amp, new speakers. But I doubt he is going to find an amp that sounds as good as the Kit1 for the amount he paid. I have read many DIY forums and the guys who built the AN EL34 or 84 amp and then eventually build an AN 300b SET prefer the 300b and not by a small margin. If I were Rebbi I would do some research. Borrow a subwoofer, hear his amp with different speakers, hear his speakers with different amps. From reading his blog, he already prefers the Kit1 to the Manley from a sheer musical stand point. He can be patient and not spend any money and come to the decision that works best for him.

If I had a vote I'd throw my hat in with Almarg and Charles' advice given the circumstances; plus I doubt SS can sound similar to DHT SET, I'll have to take Grannyring's word for that, but it must be ball-busting difficult to pull that off. I wonder how Brownsfan's 8 watt Coincident SET Dynamo 34SE is managing with the DeCapos? I have 95db 8 ohm Tektons that handle all music with aplomb. It's dynamic and goes as loud as I want it to in my 14x16 room. Rarely do I push the volume control beyond 10 o'clock which is loud, small club live sounding. At that anything past that volume my wife has to run out of the room. Good luck all this has been a great thread.

Wow, so many interesting perspectives. How much fun would it be to get all of us together in the same place to talk audio and music? ;-)

Mikirob,
I am very curious about your Tektons. They are SO reasonably priced and I'm wondering whether they're "too good to be true." On the other hand, they consistently get very, very positive reviews from so many sources. Part Time Audiophile (Scott Hull) loves them, for instance.
The De Capo's are a very refined speaker, although, like everything else audio, they're not for everyone. So I'm wondering whether a speaker like the Lore, which is 1/3 the price of a new pair of De Capo's, can match their refinement. So do tell: how do you like your Tektons?

Swampwalker and others: I understand the subwoofer suggestion and appreciate that practical wisdom None the less, I don't think I want to go down that road. It feels to me like potentially adding one more complication to my rig, which I'm not eager to pursue. I'll sacrifice "the bottom octave" to get a well integrated sound from a single pair of speakers. Maybe that's foolish of me but it's where I am right now.

Almarg: Always love to hear your suggestions and appreciate your calm guidance. ;-)

Grannyring: As I've said before, your points are well taken. Brian believes, for example, that his tricked out EL34 push-pull is unbelievably brilliant and "SET-like." It's an Andy Grove design, like the Kit 1, so that’s worth something.

Tubegroover: To clarify in response to your comments of 2/7/15: I was never unhappy with my previous Manley/De Capo combo. I'd learned that I liked tubes a lot more than SS (I'd had a Bel Canto Class D amp prior to the Manley's). It was the comment of a fellow in Switzerland (IIRC) with the monitor "morricab" on Audio Asylum - a big Ref 3A fan - who said, "If you really want to hear the De Capo's sing, try them with the SET amp," that sent me down this rabbit hole! (Go to the blog post called "Why SET" to get a fuller picture if you're interested - and if you're not, I'm not insulted!) Anyway, I have no regrets; it's been super fun. And I will reiterate: the AN Kit 1 is a superb music maker... I'll be posting Part II of my listening impressions in a day or two. What I'm finding is that for much of what I like to listen to (and my music collection is VERY eclectic) the De Capo/Kit 1 combo is fine... with many flashes of smile-inducing brilliance. But some music, especially pop music with hip-hop-like synth bass (standard bass guitar or acoustic bass seems more than fine) will, at room energizing volume levels, cause the amp to clip in a way that's not subtle. Turning down the volume stops the clipping.
I should emphasize that in many ways it's amazing what the Kit 1 CAN do with 8 watts into a questionably "92 db, 8 ohm speaker" (which may in reality be more like 87 db and 6 ohms if you believe the NRC measurements). Can it rock? Oh, heck yeah! I was listening to the Eagles Greatest Hits 2 CD set. The opening of Victim Of Love, raucous guitars and loud drum hits and all, sounded amazing! I was grinning like the proverbial kid in the candy store. The amp seems to have no problem with "instrumental" bass, electric or acoustic. But I have a 13 year old daughter who turned me on to Lorde's album "Pure Heroine," which is full of very low, sustained synth bass lines and turning the amp up to "let's party" levels causes the amp to clip. (On the other hand, Lorde's voice sound eerily real.) Same with a few tracks from another album I love, Sade's latest "Soldier Of Love." Do I sell my speakers for the sake of a few songs from a few albums... well, maybe. ;-)