Buy a Radioshack SPL meter, sit in the listening seat, and try to figure out how loud you like to listen. Then figure out how strained your amp is when playing that loud. IF WE'RE TALKING LEVELS THAT YOU CAN CARRY ON A CONVERSATION OVER with your wife, you won't be needing much power. Yes, tubes don't begin to deliver the current of solid state...but doubling power when impedance is halved isn't always called for. ANYWAY, I'M TRYING TO FIND OUT ABOUT THE VTL INTEGRATED I SAW IN THE BUYER'S GUIDE...VTL's website doesn't have anything more recent than the '98 HiFi show...sounds like somebody's gotten complacent...
Do I really need separates?
Currently the main system is a Anthem Integrated 2 fed by a Sonic Frontiers SFCD-1 through XLO ref. Speakers are Near 50meII. Cables MIT MH-750 bi-wires. Would I really hear a difference if I replaced the integrated with tube separates from BAT or Sonic Frontiers. Also, will a 50 watt tube amp push as much current as a solid state amp. My wife has suddenly got the audiophile bug worse than me. She really wants tubes (I guess I do to) but we also want to hear an improvement over the current rig. The cd-player we both love as well as the speakers. I guess we are a little confused. What happened to the good old days when I didn't even have the money to consider all this. Or max price point for making the switch is about 5k. please can someone help?