Recommend a good tube power amp in the 100 wpc range for under $4k

I suggest a Older Rogue 120 Monoblock pair.

They will have the lowend that may very well make you forget about biamping and the issues on levels ect, been there done that in the end keep it simple with an excellent amplifier pair.

Lowend control and slam with the transparency of tubes, 

+1 to those that recommended Music Reference. I was going to suggest a Music Reference RM-9 as well. It will run EL34’s or KT88’s, I believe 6550’s too?

Another golden oldie from the 80’s to consider that also gives long tube life is a Berning EA-2100 or 2101 if you can find one.

The other thing to consider is how loud you listen to music. You will find that a 40 wpc EL34 amp can often sound as loud as a 100 wpc SS amp….a pair of Dyna MKIII’s will sound amazing too.

Lots of good choices here if you include Quicksilver, VTL, cj and ARC, but if it were me, I’d be looking for the 2 amps I recommended above.

@pdreher what is the difference between a RM-9 and the RM-9 mkII?

I had an RM 9 many years ago with a RM5 mkII (upgraded from a silver RM5).

Great stuff!  RIP Roger M.

@lou_setriodes per Stereophile, the differences between the original RM-9 and the RM-9 MK II:

Let’s take a closer look at the Mk.II. The output power has been nudged from 100 to 125Wpc—[an increase of 1dBW—Ed.]—the new wood frame is more visually pleasing, and the On/Off switch is now rocker-style. The five-way binding posts are new—they’re made of solid copper, have ¼" studs, and are altogether more pleasing to my sensibilities. The output-tube fuses are now top-mounted together with "Fuse-Out" indicators—a major convenience—and the input/driver tubes are 6922s, tested by RAM Labs.

But the most significant upgrades—those in the power supply—are invisible. Capacitor energy storage, for instance, has been increased by 50%. Most significant, according to Roger, are the dual chokes that have been added to the power supply beyond the existing filter network—a filter dedicated to each channel. These chokes not only improve the filtering action, but also serve to improve right/left channel separation. Best of all, the RM-9’s retail price is almost the same as it was in 1989: $2950 in oak with an EL34C output-tube complement. Additional finishes and output-tube complements (eg, KT88s) are available as options.

Rogue stereo 100 DARK edition… 

First off, I want to thank everyone who commented and offered advice. I had no idea that there were so many different small manufacturers of such good and highly-recommended equipment.  With a bit more money, my choice would have been very perplexing.  As it is, I chose the Rogue Audio Stereo 100 Dark, based on personal recommendations, recommendations from here on Audiogon, and reading a number of reviews.  I also contacted Rogue Audio and talked with Nick at Rogue Audio, who explained the differences between the plain and Dark models of the Stereo 100, and also said that the large majority of the Stereo 100 have recently been the dark version.  Given my experience first with the RP-1 and now the RP-7 preamplifiers, I decided the Stereo 100 Dark would be it, given the moderate efficiency of the Fyne Audio F702 speakers (92 db) and the modest size of our living/listening room (12+ x ~22, with 8-foot ceilings.

  And I have NOT been disappointed, and, at even just first listening, I am far from disappointed.  The switch from the Benchmark AHB2–an excellent amplifier—is astounding.  The sounds is so much more “musical,” open, airy, “real.”  The music seems to have much more “presence.”  Listening first to some Moody Blues, Beethoven’s 6th Symphony—both on quality CDs, and then an LP of Lincoln Mayorga and a friends (Volume III), the highs are clear and distinct, separation and lateral location of instruments is distinct, mid-bass is very tight with no unexpected hangover.  Placement of instruments front-to-back also has great depth.   Having attended many live classical concerts, I am initially struck by the realism achieved by this amplifier/preamp combination, especially at moderately—not “crazy”—high levels.  This is going to take much more serious listening … which also will be incredibly enjoyable.

@mike4597

And I have NOT been disappointed, and, at even just first listening, I am far from disappointed. The switch from the Benchmark AHB2–an excellent amplifier—is astounding. The sounds is so much more “musical,” open, airy, “real.” The music seems to have much more “presence.”

I am happy for you.This is what tube amplifiers can do if well implemented. Nice outcome and no need for bi-amping.

Charles

I saw some recommendations of Line Magnetic amps. I don't know how the customer support in the United States is, but my customer journey with the Line Magnetic LM-503PA Mono Vacuum Tube Amps in Vienna is terrible.

Spoiler: Would I recommend buying a Line Magnetic product? Not when you are in Germany or Austria.

In the Summer of 2021, I spent 10k on a pair of Line Magnetic LM-503PA mono vacuum tube amps. This was by far my worst decision in 40 years of buying hi-fi gear.

So far, I have enjoyed listening with the amps for 11 months. But for 5 months, I couldn't enjoy listening with the amps because of defects and ridiculous customer support. As I'm writing this, my Line Magnetic LM-503PA is defective at the distributor for repair for more than four weeks, and Line Magnetic has not even sent the missing spare parts from China to Germany yet. But this is just the tip of the iceberg of my terrible customer experience with a Line Magnetic product.

This is why I wrote a customer report about my journey with the Line Magnetic LM-503PA mono vacuum tube amp. The report is about many customer-unfriendly emails, a dealer who doesn't answers emails at all, the European Line Magnetic distributor holding my amp hostage, and Line Magnetic in China refusing to answer my questions.

https://www.pure-neo.io/writing/my-terrible-customer-journey-with-the-line-magnetic-lm-503pa-mono-vacuum-tube-amps