Power amp around $3000 for C-J Classic preamp


I've all but decided that my next preamp will be the Conrad-Johnson Classic, but I'm struggling with ideas for a power amp that would be a good match for it below $3000. I listen almost exclusively to vinyl and the speakers right now are the Totem Acoustic Hawks but will be upgraded in the near future to probably the Vandersteen 3A Sig or possibly VMPS RM-30, but not yet sure. I'm open to both tube, hybrid or solid state, but I'm more inclined toward solid state. Any ideas?
actusreus
You have a broad choice of speakers with different needs. The Totems need a high quality solid state amplifier with a lot of power to sound their best. I used a 100 watt Krell amp with decent results.
With either the Vandersteen 3A Sig or the VMPS you can use a tube amplifier, but for best results it will have to be fairly high powered.
I personally do not recommend the Quad amp since my personal experience is Quad does not work well with other brands.
As I always recommend, for best results Amplifier and Preamp should be the same brand. The is always a rightness to the sound.
Decide on the speaker first then the right amplifier to drive them properly.
I was recently chastised offline by a Vandy dealer for recommending 80 watt amps for the 3a's. So, whatever you get, make sure it is fairly potent and doubles down to 4 ohms at least.
Musical Fidelity 308 would be one, I have used several of their units. Parasound A21 [the 250 watt stereo] has a good rep. These are both way under your limit. There are just too many possibilities, especially since the speakers are uncertain. Unlike the previous poster I very rarely use the same make amp and pre amp, I think the last time was around 1990 except for integrated amps. When I do it is more by coincidence than planing; when you read reviews of an amp and preamp almost invariably one will be regarded as the star of the combination. The CJ should work with a wide variety of amps, decide on speakers first and then pick an amp that will drive them well. While it is true that manufactures make their units in combination you may or may not like the sound they were striving for. In my long ago days as a Krell dealer I liked their amps considerably better than their preamps; I have thought seriously about getting a Pass Labs pre, but don't want to deal with Class A amps again. I think if you look at members systems you will see many if not most have mixed marriages in their electronics.
Whatever amp you choose, be aware of the input impedance and the CJ preamp's output impedance. Choose wisely.
Not only are like brands of amplifiers and preamps designed to work well together sonically they are also designed to work well electrically and I have heard plenty of bad matches.
If you don't mind the process of buying and selling while you mix and match until you get it right or if you have several amps and preamps on hand to try together, your safest bet is to stay with the same brand.
I agree with Stanwal, CJ preamps are one of the easier to match with, say, a solid state amplifer, but you don't have a CJ yet and you may end up with something else.
The Quicksilver full function preamp works especially well with a variety of amplifiers because of it's extremely low output impedance.
But unless you have a ton of stereo equipment lying around as I do from my days as a stereo dealer and collecting choice items over the years as a hobbiest, then you may want to stick with the same brand.
Keep in mind many solid state preamps often take up to 3 days before sounding their best, such as Krell, Mark Levinson, Threshold and Audio Research solid state and hybrid preamps.