Best amps for rock and heavy metal

I am a Metallica and Tool fan. Crank them up often. I use Von Schweikert VR4 Gen III HSE loudspeakers with a Moscode 401HR. The combo rocks. Personally, the only solid state amps I would consider would be McIntosh (the Moscode is a hybrid, but I consider it a tube amp 'cause that's the way it sounds, IMO). Otherwise, tubes rule.

Unlike many amplifiers, the Moscode 401HR can be auditioned in your home for a generous 33 1/3 days. If you don't care for it, just send it back. You'll probably keep it, though. I don't know anyone who has auditioned a Moscode and returned it. Even better, own two and run them as monoblocks!

see if you can get a used pair of Levinson 33H monoblocks. You may be able to fit in your budget and these are just excellent amps. McIntosh MC501 monoblocks are nice too.
I have a Pass Labs X250.5 that kicks butt on Zeppelin, Metallica, Floyd or whatever else you throw at it. You have to remember one thing though, that heavy metal CDs for the most part are not recorded to be played back on a system like yours, so it may show some shortcomings of bad recordings. Just so you know and are ready......

I wanted to amend my previous post to include Pass Labs and Gamut as two other solid state brands I'd consider along with McIntosh. Check out the Gamut offerings. Man, those are sweet sounding solid state amps. I guess I've got a thing for MOSFET designs.

Audphile1 makes a good point. As a system becomes more resolving, the flaws in CDs become more apparent.

The advantage of the Moscode amplifier is that the sound can be easily tailored by swapping just one pair of tubes. That's something the Pass, McIntosh and Gamut amps can't do.

If we are talking power and value for money, the Parasound JC-1s were measured by Stereophile as clipping at 545 watts. You'd be very hard pressed to beat this figure in a high quality amplifier.

Regards,

I am also using Aerial 10T's but driving them with Bryston 7bST monoblocks. Great combo for heavy metal.