Any way you could demo them? That's the best way to decide. Without hearing them, I would put my money on the VTL's.
Advice on purchasing classics amplifiers.Which one
I have the opportunity to purchase one of the three amplifiers:
1) Audio Reasearch VT-100 MK2 for $2145. The amplifier is about four years old and is in a 9/10 condition. It has balanced inputs. 100 watts per channel.
2) Conrad Johnson Evolution 2000 (Tubes and MOSFETS) for $1850. The amplifier was released in 1987 or 1988, which makes it 14 to 15 years old. No balanced inputs. This is about a 7 or 8 in condition, of 10. 200 watts per channel.
3) VTL 222 all tubes mono power amplifiersreleased around 1988. The asking price is $2300 and the condition is 8/10.
225 watts per channel.
I will be using them to drive the Martin Logan Monolith II.
I will purchase one of the three and therefore not really interested in anything else. Please give your honest advice as to what I should look for, age, reliability, sound, performance. Which is the best for driving electrostatics? Please do not give me the viortues of a $10,000 because I cannot afford one. My budget is $2400 for a used amplifier, Tubes amplification.
1) Audio Reasearch VT-100 MK2 for $2145. The amplifier is about four years old and is in a 9/10 condition. It has balanced inputs. 100 watts per channel.
2) Conrad Johnson Evolution 2000 (Tubes and MOSFETS) for $1850. The amplifier was released in 1987 or 1988, which makes it 14 to 15 years old. No balanced inputs. This is about a 7 or 8 in condition, of 10. 200 watts per channel.
3) VTL 222 all tubes mono power amplifiersreleased around 1988. The asking price is $2300 and the condition is 8/10.
225 watts per channel.
I will be using them to drive the Martin Logan Monolith II.
I will purchase one of the three and therefore not really interested in anything else. Please give your honest advice as to what I should look for, age, reliability, sound, performance. Which is the best for driving electrostatics? Please do not give me the viortues of a $10,000 because I cannot afford one. My budget is $2400 for a used amplifier, Tubes amplification.