SDV 3100 HV owners

May I ask what your goals are for switching to a different amp? 

I have the SDV 3100 HV in system one paired with the new Moon North 761 and find it to be a very good pairing (and it fits in my cabinet).

I have the SD 3100 HV (no preamp version) in system two feeding the Atmasphere MP 1 tube preamp going into Atmasphere Class D mono blocks. Also a good combination - which shouldn’t be too surprising because the North amp and Class D amps have very similar tonal characteristics and resolution. 

I tried a couple of more expensive amplifiers but didn’t really find they brought anything more to the table. To be fair, I didn’t try anything that might be considered in the same class as the T+A units but I also didn’t feel like I needed to spend at that level to get where I wanted to go. The T+A units are that good alone.

I’d certainly suggest an audition of the Moon North amps if you have a dealer who carries them. They’re quite good. I can also comfortably suggest the T+A A3000 as a good and muscular pairing, but I wasn’t able to compare it directly to the Moon. My suspicion (untested) is it’s likely to be a bit warmer than the Moon.

Best,

I'm curious what speakers you are driving and also what are your goals for switching the amp?

I own a PA 3100 HV driving Harbeth 40.3 XDs and I'm really happy with the pairing. Warm and musical with what seems like unlimited headroom, however my dealer said the big Luxman amps pair extremely well with the 40's so I am curious.

I would have though the obvious choice would be the A3000? I would assume it has a similar sound to the PA 3100...specs seem almost identical. Plus they would look great together!

I own the P3100HV and I paired it with MC611 and Accuphase A-80. They both sound great but my preference is with Accuphase. The bass is incredible, very clean, punchy and deep. Deeper than the 611’s. The A-80 is lower wattage then the 611 but it feel more powerful. You can’t be wrong with either one. It all depends on the speakers you are using. 

Thanks for the responses.  My speakers are Monitor Audio PL 300 ii, which I'm very happy with.  The Luxman amp has many outstanding qualities, but can be a bit polite and lacking in energy and dynamics.  I agree the A 3000 might be an obvious choice, but I can't find one to hear without driving hundreds of miles each way.  Another option that keeps coming up is the ARC Ref 160s.

I don't know how much you want to spend. For what it's worth. I use Jeff Rowland 735 mono-amps with the Jeff Rowland Corus preamp to drive my Monitor Audio PL500 ii speakers. I've heard several combinations with my speakers and prefer Rowland. Unless I come into a significant amount of money, I will never sell my PL500s or Rowland.

When you say "a bit polite and lacking..." how much are we talking about? Is it a small enough thing where maybe tweaks like cable changes could help bring it where you want to be? Or large enough where the Luxman must go?

I've done upgrades on cables and power cords.  I believe the issue is the amp.  After reading a few reviews of the Luxman M10-X (M900u replacement), it appears that it addresses the specific issues I'm not happy with on the current amp.  Again, the challenge is hearing it, hopefully side by side with my amp.  I'm afraid my future involves lifting and transporting heavy metal objects to find out!