A new amp for my Harbeth SLH5 speakers
I had to re-arrange my set-up recently and I thought it might be a good time to look at changing up my integrated amp. Currently I use a Cayin A-88T to drive Harbeth SLH5 speakers.
Most important to me is a warm sound with no stridency in voices or harshness. Bright is OK when the music calls for it. I love a large holographic sound with wide soundstage. (I actually find Audio Note speakers best for that, from what I've listened to.) Most of my music is classical symphonic and choral. I prefer the big stuff. No chamber music here, but also not all Mahler. Quite a bit of organ too.
As a test, I did try a solid state amp. The dudes across the pond swear by them paired with Harbeth. It was a Hegel H100. Very nice, but not bowled over. Pretty sure I want to stay with tubes.
From the research I've done, the 805 tubes driven by 300b seem like they'd have the warmth I love and the power I need. Options include Cayin, Line Magnetic, and Willsenton. Cayin also makes a KT170-based integrated which seems to do it all.
I'm interested in hearing what people think of pairing any of the with the SLH5s. Also the relative sound and build quality between the three manufacturers. From what I've seen, in terms of the 805/300b amps, Cayin and LM have the best build quality and are point-to-point wired, Willsenton has the advantage of providing XLR inputs and IMO looks the best.
Looking forward to your feedback!
