Good Amp for Martin Logan Monolith II

Find a used Mark Levinson 23 or 23.5 or 27.5 and you are there. I have an Audio Research REF 3 pre-amp that goes to two AR VTM 120 Monoblocks for the upper panels of my Monolith IIIs and a Mark Levinson ML3 for the bass drivers.
I also use an ultra modified Bedini 250/250 MK II (that I modified) and it is also wonderful on the upper panels. Do not, I repeat, do not let tube bias steer you away from excellent and cost effective sound.

The ML 23.5 is still one of the best amps out there and for the money, you can't touch it tube or solid state.

enjoy

See, the problem with not being in the amp of the month club is that if I go to my favorite stereo equipment dealer, Stereo Design in San Diego, borrow two mono tube amps and take them home and use them instead of the ML3, and they sound better (which I really doubt by-the-way), then I'm in a situation where I may be stupid (for me) enough to buy them, when I really don't need to do that at this time. This year, I'm suppose to be saving money and not spending money (unnecessarily). Very subjective I know. I haven't heard a tube amp just powering bass woofers that really out do a very good solid state amp. They are typially slower and don't have the bass slam and bass realism that I hear from a good solid state amp. But, one day when I am very patient and have the strength to not do something stupid, I will do that. I wish I had friends nearby that I could borrow their amps and try this. But alas, no one nearby. My closest friend with massive VTL mono amps lives in northern California.

enjoy.

Rrog; Oh I'm there all right. I don't have a tube vs. solid state bias. I have listened to many amps over the years and built up my system. I am not in the amp of the month club and don't change because some "new and better" amp came around. Because most times, the new stuff really isn't "better". Don't get me wrong. There is some great equipment out there. But, I will not change equipment just because something reportedly new and better came along. Most times manufacturers will cancel a piece of equipment and come out with something new, not because it really is better, but because equipment reviewers and magazines won't review older equipment, even if they are still being produced. And for some audiophiles, if the equipment isn't reviewed recently, they won't buy it. However, for tube amps and pre-amps, I recommend cleaning the connectors, changing the tubes with new tubes and rebiasing and then listening again before considering changing components. for example. I wanted to investigate a new pre-amp that was remote controlled (getting lazy) that was at or better than my Audio Research SP11. The SP11 is probably one of the better pre-amps around, even now. So, what I did was purchase new tubes and burned them in and listened. Wow! was it great. Then I went to my favorite stereo store and borrowed an AR SP 17 and SP 16 to listen to, along with a Krell pre-amp. They weren't close to the SP 11 in sound quality, and if I sold my SP11 it would basically pay for any one of them. So, finally, I listened to a demo model REF 3 pre-amp. Took it home for two weeks (yes, they let me). and it was better, not much better, but better than my SP11. I didn't think that the cost of the REF3 was low enough to justify purchasing it over the sound of my SP11, but I weighed it for days and finally negotiated a very good price for it, sold my SP11 for a very competitive price and I am good. I don't do that often. I know what music is suppose to sound like. I played classical violin, oboe, bassoon, etc. I know what live music sounds like also. So, my system is very close. Such that to upgrade is not cost justified for the incremental increase in sound quality. So, Yes, I'm there. It can always get better, no question. But I don't feel that anything is really missing or lacking in the music reproduction.

enjoy

Please tell me you kept your ML 23.5. That is one amp that I would not get rid of. I would keep it even if I bought other equipment. I've heard it many times, and it was a very good, wonderful amp. Hmmm, four VTM 120 monos huh? Well, the Martin Logan Monolith III's that I have use the Martin Logan electronic crossover that adjust the gains of each amp to match with switches in the rear of the crossover. But, tube amps for the bass drivers? Hmmmm. What would that sound like? The VTM 120's are very good amps that didn't get very high positive reviews and were cancelled. The AR rep and stereo salesmen that I spoke with told me they were cancelled because at that time, people were moving away from Mono blocks and wanted stereo amps. In any case, useing them to drive the upper panels of the Monolith IIIs takes much of the load away from the amps with the ML 3 on the base drivers, the VTM 120's absolutely shine.

Recommendation: Eliane Elias' Something for you disc. the Blue in Green cut is simply wonderful.

enjoy

Okay, Grant Green, Idle Moments is my next purchase.

Thanks for the recommendation. You know, the fun part of this is that I can actually borrow equipment from my favorite store in San Diego and they let me take it home for extended listening. I may borrow some AR Amps and take them home to listen. I am not in the amp of the month club, I'm not, I'm not!

enjoy