Horning owners what amps have you used?

Thanks Rodge827 for the suggestion. I should start building my own amps. Unfortunately I have too many hobbies as it is, maybe in a couple of years if and when I can afford to retire.

Goldeneraguy, I borrowed the 845-G SE's some time ago and I thought they were wonderful with my Merlins, although I bought a Joule instead. It would be interesting to hear what the 845s do for the Hornings. I have Thoress preamp that’s the best audio component I've purchased in a long time. It's what led me to picking up the Thoress amp as well.

Charles1dad, true the 300b is hard to beat but I've never owned a 2a3 or 45. Can the Hornings handle 4 watts? I've heard that the Hornings sound better with more watts than even my 8 watter. And of course there's the sound preference. I love the sound of a 45 tube and I've been seriously contemplating a Deja Vu 45/2A3 (another Audiogon-er put this amp in my head when I owned my previous efficient speakers). As for the Berning ZH270, I've had this amp for almost 10 years. In those 10 years it hasn't seen a lot of action. I also owned a Joule VZN-80, which I far more preferred. The reason why I've never sold the Berning is it’s just a friggin' 10lb amp! I can bring it with me when I go listen to someone else's stuff. If you’re interested, it's going on the market soon.

It's hard not to get caught up in the Joule-Merlin synergy when hear them at a show. Same goes for the Horning-Tron synergy...not so for the deHavilland-Sonist combo, but that's just my opinion.

I live in the SF Bay Area.

Charles1dad,
Yes you're probably right regarding the 45/2a3. I also have a huge room, but I listen mostly to acoustical music. It still would be fun to try a 45.

It's not exactly like I'm looking for something better, just different. I like a slightly warmer breathy midrange sound that you occasionally hear in a 45 and some 300bs. I wouldn't be selling the Thoress. It's here to stay.

As I mentioned in my original post, some people think the Hornings sound much better with more watts. I'm not sure how much is more, but 18 to 24 would be sufficient for me. The 845 is a good suggestion as well as a 211. If I had the spare change that Tron Telstar would be it.

Actually Charles1dad you were correct, Horning did once make a 300b (Taj Mahal) and an 845 (Emperor). The Sati 520b appears to be the only amp he's producing now. From the posts on this tread only Latinsamba1 has heard the 520b. It would be interesting to hunt down Horning's previous incarnations, but I don't think you're likely to find many in the US. I haven't owned an integrated amp in years. With the exception of the external power supply, it would free up a lot of rack real estate. At least you know what this integrated amp was voiced with.

Trelja, did you hear a Deja Vu 2A3 Horning combination? Led Zeppelin on 5 watts, that's impressive.

Johnk, it's always a pleasure to hear from you and thanks for the recommendation by the way. I'm well aware that you're a big fan of both those amps. I previously had a pair of your speakers. I seriously miss the sound of the Seas Exotic W8 in your cabinets. I will eventually pick up another pair of single drivers speakers. I loved the soft enveloping sound of SEAS in your cabinets. I also think it was you who planted the seed in my head regarding the Mastersound 845 or 300b monos.

As 845s go, I would love to find a rare pair of Komuro 845. One of my A-gon friends once owned and raved about this amp. He's probably shaking his head now over this discussion. I blame my curiosity and yearning on him. ;-)

Atmasphere, interesting that you suggested your M-60 for the Horning. 60 watts would certainly up the power in comparison to anything I've driven the Horing with thus far. Actually I would think the S-30 would be more than sufficient power for either the Aristoteles or the Eufrodite. By the way I always spend a great deal of time listening to the M-60 and CAR T1s at RMAF. Very impressive!

I also (naively) find it confounding when power equates more bass extension. I doubt I listen to very much music that goes below 40hz, Led Zeppelin doesn't get spun that often and even if it were I'd just be listening to Jimmy Page's acoustical tributes to Bert Jansch. So rather than thumping bass notes I would rather hear great bass articulation from the sound that I do enjoy.

Another puzzling thing for me is 11flat6 term: "euphoric", which I take for meaning exceedingly warm. When I attend a live performance of someone like jazz guitarist Jimmy Bruno and his Fender amp, I'm not hearing a resolving defined sound; rather the sound is euphoric (if my interpretation of this word is correct) and fusing. When I listen to a Bruno recording I want to hear a little heat and breath to emulate that Fender amp. I've heard a lot of amps render that sound sterile. Having said that, I'm not quite sure I want the same sound when listening to an un-miked acoustical guitar. From some of my previous posts you'll get a similar rant regarding my love for definition and dissipation of jazz piano notes. In my cramped, but too large listening room I have two sets of speakers and have up until recently owned more than one amp. If I'm not paying attention to what I'm listening to, and it's music that I like, then I know that the sound is dry and sterile and it's time to switch out components or blame it on the recording.

Here I go rambling again, but I think my initial post implied that there’s no one solution depending on what we listen to and how varied it might be. I think we convince ourselves that where we’re at in the evolution of our sound systems is the end all be all, but for a curious person like myself I always have an insatiable urge to further experiment and entertain others opinions. I like the idea of a 2a3 PP or possibly throw another OTL amp at them (Although I don’t like the Horning/Berning combo, but that’s just my preference).