Rich; organic true balanced amp w good detail $6k


Suggestions welcomed & appreciated- here are the Criteria:

- fully balanced architecture
- rich, organic sound, extended bass, silky highs, but not at the expense of obscuring detail
- No OTL (too many tubes/heat)
- SS (Class A bias) or tubes OK
- 20-200 wpc ok, the lower the better though all things being equal- well built power supply crucial
- stereo amp easier to put on my Sistrum rack, but mono-bock architecture also considered if better performance
- $6k or less used would be ideal, but would consider up to $8k used if there are no world-beating contenders at the $5k-$6k used price point

Preamp is a modded Sonic Frontiers Line 3- extremely neutral, hence the desire for a richer-sounding amp to balance. High efficiency speakers from Coincident- large open concept room (main floor of house). Re: tubes, have used ARC VT-100 MKIII- good- airy w big soundstage, but meatier mids would be better. Also had Wyetech Topaz 20-watt SET, superb, if slightly lean in the mids (and not fully balanced, but shows you how powerful 20 watts can sound with a well-built power supply) For SS, am considering Pass XA.5 series (they now can run balanced from what I understand?); Clayton Audio M-200 (but unfortunately over the price-range).

Thanks in advance for any suggestions- I have an open mind, so bring it on!
sutts
Sutts, FWIW there are amplifiers out there that run as hot as OTLs. In fact, OTLs only run hot if they are class A, not due to the number of tubes. It has to do with the energy that is dissipated in the output section, not the number of tubes.

For example, the BAT VK-60 and VK-75 run *hotter* than equivalent-powered OTLs. The same is true of the push-pull Lamm- this having more to do with the power tube used by those companies as well as the class of operation.

Israel is getting an OTL for his own use BTW (one that is also fully balanced-differential). Coincidents have been an excellent speaker with OTLs for years.
How does Conrad Johnson's amps compare to the amps listed above?(except they are not balanced)

I see quite a few of the LP70s showing up lately.