Are There Any Good, High Power Solid State Amps?

Louis1-

You seem to be ignoring the DNA-500 - not sure why. 500W into 8 ohms, 800w into 4 ohms. The VR4's will be singing like you've never heard them before. The 500 drove my VR7se's incredibly easily - could have broken windows, eardrums, etc. w/o a sweat. I'm not a dealer, nor do I work for SMc, but the DNA-500 really should be on your short list. You can get one used for under $5K and its 1 of the best values in higher-end audio.

You might want to take a look at the Karan amps.

I'm pusing 100 watts now, and sometimes it runs low on steam.

Louisl (System | Threads | Answers)

Pushing 100 watts into an 89dB speaker is running out of steam when you state you listen at 90dB - 93dB?

Something doesn't add up here.

Perhaps the problem is that your tube amp's impedance curve doesn't match the impedance curve of your speakers (which dip down to 3 ohms...I've owned them), and therefore the bass response is anemic. This could be interpreted as running out of steam.

I know firsthand the Moscode 401HR is an excellent match with the VR4 Gen III HSE. I owned this combo for a couple of years.

When I owned the VR4 Gen III HSE, I owned or auditioned the following amps: VAC Phi 110/110, Channel Islands Audio D100 and D200, McCormack DNA-2 Platinum, McCormack DNA-500, Nuforce Reference 8, Odyssey Stratos Extreme Monoblocks, Moscode 401HR, and a few others that I've forgotten.

The Moscode 401HR and VAC Phi110/110 were a level above the rest. The Moscode had better bass control and bass extension and was less fussy about matching components. The VAC Phi 110/110 had the magical VAC midrange and overall clarity. It was a little fussy about the electronics in front of it, regardless of their excellence, and it could sound a little bright at times...a quality that I was always fighting with the VR4 Gen III HSE. The Moscode was extended and did not produce brightness in the speakers.

I was reading a glowing, 6 Moons review of Bryston 28B's. Doesn't seem to be your typical Bryston and is the basis for the next generation SST^2 series. Looks like they go for abut $8k used.