I just purchased a set of these amazing amps. And while I wouldn't call my speakers "power-hungry" (Wilson Sophia), they can absorb a tremendous amount of power. Previously I had been using a Krell KCT/FPB250Mc combination to great effect. I had tried several different tube amps prior to the Manley's and was always disappointed with their lack of bass control and transparency as compared to the Krell's.
Obviously no tube amp is going to provide the absolute precision and resolution of the best solid state. However even though I may be hearing "less" overall with the Manley 250's I am also hearing so much more. This is in the critical areas of musical texture, color and tonal inflection.
And the Manley's have THE BEST bass I've heard with a tube amp. This is, no doubt, due to thier custom-wound output transformers and brute force power. I usually run the amps in triode which yields "only" 100 watts. This allows much more delicacy and nuance present itself and I never get the sense of the amps runnning out of steam.
Obviously you will need an comparable quality tube preamp to achieve this magic. And while they sound quite good with the stock power cables The Richard Gray High Tension A/C cables really allow them to strut their stuff. The Manley's also have an "ever-warm" feature that allows them to remain in standby. Once powered on from this mode they are ready to rock, no need to let them cook for an hour to settle in, this feature (and their sound) will really spoil you. Happy Listening.
