Help with Hi Power Tube Amp Selection

Buy a Pass, Curl/Parasound, or a Wolcott but be prepared to change the input and driver tubes of the last after break-in. VTLs, I am told, are made of explosium.

I have only heard the VTL and Wolcott. They are different in their presentation. The VTL is more traditional tube sound, but I don't mean too warm or slow. The VTL is excellent, better yet the Signature series 750 mono blocks.

The Wolcotts are almost as controlled as a big solid state amp, but with (only) tube personality. This is due to a patented design by Hank Wolcott. If you are fond of the control solid state provides for your speakers but want tubes, the Wolcott may be the best match.

For absolute "slam" factor and seemingly unlimited power, the big VTL would probably be the winner.

I don't know how you react to tube maintenance, but of the amps your considering, only the Wolcott is auto bias and digests every EL 34 made, making tube selections a delight.

If your using the balanced out from your BAT, the Wolcott has a convenience jack for balanced. This might save you converting the plugs. A minor thing, but a consideration.

the Wolcott is pretty particular about the cables you use with it especially in the midrange you don't want cables which are thin or lacking body in the mids. The VTL 450 has a bit more mid range body than the Wolcott and cable matching isn't quite as critical. The difference in the two amplifiers really isn't very much different especially if the 450 is in triode. It's like which brand of chocolate ice cream you purchase? Yes their are differences but they are slight. The Wolcott definitely has better bass control and power but it's not a big difference. I preferred the 450 signature in triode. What can I say if the mid range isn't exactly correct I'm not happy. I can say the 750 reference amplifiers is better than either of those above at least in my system. Neither one of those above actually has enough upper bass powers and definition something the 750 has in spades.I know now I had a cable compatibility problem with the Wolcott which I didn't have funds to correct it with at the time. All 3 above are very good amplifiers.

I'd love to get the VTL 750 Sigs, but alas, they are way out of my league, even used. Thanks for the replies.

The only time I heard the VR-4s in a dealer showroom, they were being powered by the Sonic Frontiers Power 2 amp (stereo amp, ~110W) and sounded amazing. Might be worth checking out.

I think I can be of more help in your choice of pre-amps as I've auditioned both the BAT VK-5i and VK-30. I went to the audition thinking I wanted a warm, liquid sounding pre-amp, which is the VK-5i, but ended up preferring the VK-30 with it's more neutral presentation (leans slightly to the warm side of neutral) with amazing dynamics and PRAT. They are both very musical and help the music sound involving, so can't go wrong with either one, just a matter of which sound you prefer. Oh, and if it matters, the VK-30 is also much quieter.

Gileon...."PRAT"?? You lost me....

Sorry, was being lazy. It stands for pace, rhythm and timing.

the manleys, and vtl eat tubesat a much faster rate ,i know i speak with the guys who sell tubes.these tubes are made to run hot.
ask vintage tube service.

I will have to correct the previous post VTL amplifiers have longer tube lifes than many others due to the lower bias current being sent to the tubes than other companies typically do which increases their longevity. typically approximately 3000 hours for a set of tubes with VTL's

The same should hold true for the Manley Labs amps, which bias their tubes at somewhere around the .25 volts range.