[2bigears]

   those look like 2 really good candidates .. One at 3 and one at 6 large.  Two very interesting
           amps indeed. Time to do a little reading on these guys. Are the ARC's worth a look ?
              Something like the 150 Ref ,,,, or is that gear over priced ? 

[geowak]

Check out Decware mono amps. Lots of fans out there....chime in.

[mick wolfe]

Quicksilver Silver 88's or V4's if you need 100+ tube watts.

[2bigears]

 .  The 38's are 91eff.  So will those Decware amps work ?  They look pretty dam sweet.
          I have heard the Quicksilvers work good with the Proacs too.  Paradox of Choice ---- again. 

[Ericus Rex]

The only 1 box Quicksilvers are the original MS 190 and the GLA.

My speaks are 91.5 db efficient and I get great volume out of my 35 watt GLA.  But I *think* you're looking for a faster, 'newer' tube sound.  Quickies are a little closer to traditional tube amp sound than my other recs.

[2bigears]

 .  I've sent Steve an inquiry on which amp he would recommend.
           These push pulls are powerful little beasts I assume. 35 or 55 watts
               don't sound like much.  And I do listen to old rock mostly cause I'm old as dirt.
                  Fast and yet detailed is what we ll look. For ,,?  No ? 
                      Thanks for the reply guys..... I muchly appreciate .. 

[Freo-1]

Given what has been written here, I would at least look into a Harmon Karkon Citation II with the Jim McShane mods.  Those amps have some amazing sonics.  They have all the tube goodness, ultra wide bandwidth, and pretty fast sounding for tubes. 

[2bigears]

 .  Harmon ?? Those are not in the same boat,, I could be wrong. 

[Freo-1]

.  Harmon ?? Those are not in the same boat,, I could be wrong. 

A properly restored Citation II is one of the very best sounding power amps ever made.  The output transformers are good from 5 Hz to 80 KHz (you won't find that from most any modern iron).   They are not your typical sounding tube amps.  They have a fast and detailed sound with a great 3D sound-stage. 

[2bigears]

 . With total respect, it's no the amp I want to live with for the next 10 years .. 
             Decware has caught my eyes. Steve can set me straight tomorrow on his workings.
                 Those amps look inviting to say the least.     And I've always loved "make it on your own
                  companies rich with smarts and ambition to warrantee a product for life" .  Talk about stand
                     behind your work.       As always,, I could be wrong..  What do I know ? 

[Freo-1]

No worries.  This hobby is all about "horses for courses".  What works well for some people does not work for others. 

Home audition is very important to decide what works in your system.  All things being equal, unless one has very sensitive speakers (over 100 db/w) more power is almost always easier to get good sound from.


Here is a pic of my tube amps:


 

[2bigears]

 .   That Zen Mystery Amp looks interesting as an amp can.
             Is 40w good enough power for 91db ?
                And how long is their build time ,, ? 

[Freo-1]

.   That Zen Mystery Amp looks interesting as an amp can.
             Is 40w good enough power for 91db ?
                And how long is their build time ,, ? 

Thee short answer is "it depends".  As long as your listening level is low to moderate, may work out nicely.  Would recommend you audition a 40 watt tube amp with your speakers to see how you like it.  I had 91 db/w speakers with a 40 watt tube amp, and it turned out that 60 watts of tube power was required to get it right.

[jackman]

Given what has been written here, I would at least look into a Harmon Karkon Citation II with the Jim McShane mods.  Those amps have some amazing sonics.  They have all the tube goodness, ultra wide bandwidth, and pretty fast sounding for tubes.

I don't always agree with Freo but I totally agree with his suggestion this time. I'd take a pair of Mcshane's Citation amps over anything Decware has ever produced.  The Citations are amazing. I heard Jim's at his house years ago and was amazed. Beautiful sounding amps.

[JerryM]

Hi Pat!

Smart move going after tubes to help keep the place warm. 

I'm not sure of your budget, but you may want to consider these:
http://app.audiogon.com/listings/tube-rogue-audio-m-180-mono-blocks-2014-05-17-amplifiers-20774-upper-marlboro-md

Have fun,

Jerry

[2bigears]

    . Those monos are a good buy ,, but I was wondering if I could stick
               to 1 box. The price is good on them too as used gear is a buy.
                   Paradox of choice !  Dam     

[jarcher]

Why not a Conrad  Johnson?  You can get these from $1500 to the sky's the limit. A Premier 11 @ around $1500 would be a great first tube amp. The classic 60 has been on stereophile's recommended list for ever as well. Even powerful 140wpc ones like the Premier 140 you see asking price of $3500 on audiogon. I'd take a CJ over an ARC and many other tube amps in a heartbeat. Not the flavor of the month tube amp, just something with solid construction and sound quality that you can listen to forever.

[mick wolfe]

The only 1 box Quicksilvers are the original MS 190 and the GLA.

My speaks are 91.5 db efficient and I get great volume out of my 35 watt GLA.  But I *think* you're looking for a faster, 'newer' tube sound.  Quickies are a little closer to traditional tube amp sound than my other recs.

With his diet of old rock, a little forgiveness would probably be welcome on most of those recordings. I have a friend with V4's and I've found them to be quite involving and well voiced. Plus you've got a boatload of tube rolling possibilities to tune to your taste.

[2bigears]

    Everbody needs forgiveness. I do play very good vinyl on a pretty good table.
            And my dig is not terrible. But we all need a little forgiveness and I think tubes
                help.     Too many dam amps to choose from. My head is going to frickin' explode.

[2bigears]

 .  Question for you amp guys ,,  would the quicksilver V4's power my D38's ?  Some for sale down in
            NY area.  I have heard rumours these are good pieces ? 
       Reading the add again,, they are mono's of course ,, and 'unbalanced'  which I don't know
           what that even means ?