Ok....Audiogoners: need some tube amp ideas

Thanks for everyone's input so far. This is a good starting list. Let me insert a bit more background.

- Art Audio is supposedly sending me a pair of its Concerto MKII push-pull monos (over my budget, but I'll stretch if I like them that much)

- My current speakers are 88 db, 8 ohm, and highly damped; however, they do not provide enough bass. Thus far, some of the real-world priced speakers I've seen are typically around 88 to 90 db efficiency. Hence, I thought more power might be better. Nonetheless, I'll keep an open mind on the eventual speaker selection.

- I'm looking into a pair of Continuum 2.5 speakers from SP Technology. The waveguide is an intriguing proposition, and SP is sending me a pair of its smaller offerings for demo.

- Linkoping: Nice setup you have there. I actually did think about the Mastersound amps, but am unsure if they're sufficiently powerful for orchestral music.

- Sbank: I'm still investigating on the Berning amps; OTLs are an interesting animal to me. Sans Berning amps, other OTLs may be a bit fussy to maintain. Air Tight is certainly a viable option.

Again, thanks for all the inputs. Please keep them coming. I've been doing a lot of reading/researching here, AA, and Audiocircle for "esoteric" amps. The next step for me is to put together a short list for demo.

Ken

Again, thanks for all the inputs. At this point, 3 amps have emerged as the leading candidates. In the end, I'll do my best to demo them, but it will be difficult as there are no local dealers for the Air Tight and the MF. We'll see.

Please feel free to comment on the below observation.

- Air Tight ATM-2

- Music Reference RM-10 MKii (a pair in mono mode)

- Dodd 120

Ken

Sbank & Swamwalker,

Good timing and the thoughtful inputs. We actually share similar speakers (I have the mx version). :o)

At this point, I'm down to:
- Air Tight atm-2
- VAC Phi 110
- and, maybe a pair of Pathos Classic one in mono

For our speakers, just about everyone suggests Berning, Atma, and Joule; hosever, I'm ready to try something else, something different. I just wish I can hear the above amps. A good dealer-friend speakes very highly of both the Air Tight and the Pathos. We'll see.

Ken