Balanced Low Power Tube Monoblocks?

Another choice might be the EAR 861. Not easy to find used but it might be just the ticket. The circuit is fully-balanced input to output (and has balanced inputs, after all that's where designer Tim de Paravicini's roots are), and direct-coupled. It uses an interesting method to get triode out of a pentode tube (ties Grid 1 to Cathode, Grid 2 is signal, Grid 3 is floating) and the result is highly linear. It uses an EL519 tube reasonably low in its operating range, and the tube naturally has long life. Barring accident or bad luck, one set of tubes should last you a very long time (operating life of the tubes is something like 15,000 hours I think, so 3hrs a day for 15 years?).

One stereo amp ouputs 32W but they can be bridged, so you could start with one, and add a second later when you found it. The EL519 Enhanced Triode Mode circuit sounds really wonderful. I am frankly surprised it hasn't gotten more press over the years. I have an 859 but would love a pair of 861s if I could ever find them used.

Thanks, T_bone. That is right in the wheelhouse. Any idea of the approximate cost for a single unit (used)?

I would take Duke's advice. I always have.

Whatever, buy something you can get serviced relatively easily. I would stay away from foreign companies that don't have US repair support.

The big Cary SET monoblocs (845/211 output tubes) are the first that jump to mind. 300b tubes are used in these amps as drivers, but they should have a long life in that application.

Good Luck

Marty

Tvad,
I live around the world from you (or so I'm betting). In Japan, the integrated amp version of the amp called the 859 won a StereoSound "Best Component" award about 12-13 years ago I think and they sold a bunch of 859s here. The 861 came not long afterward I believe, and I have seen them around but they are somewhat rare. If I went looking for a pair, I would find them separately and probably have to pay $3-3.5k each. I would expect they would be easiest to find in the UK. This is more of a deal where you buy one if it comes up at the right price, but you might not try to hold your breath...

Travis (the other one) has a point - anything you buy you'd better know how it is going to be serviced if something goes. My gut is that these could be serviced by someone outside the EAR family - they are, after all, a reasonably simple tube amp I believe. However, if you are a person who needs brand servicing, you'd need to figure out if it was available to you. They have a couple of dealers in the US but that's it.