If the Volti model you are buying is the Vittora, you may be able to use a lower power SET amp using a 2A3 or 45, which opens the door to lots of options other than the 300B. I have heard the Vittora at several of the Capital Audio Fest shows, and the very best sound in my opinion was with Greg Roberts' own 2A3 SET amps. At one of the shows, when a room visitor asked Greg to play a particular CD he turned the volume up and said he would have to switch amps because he could hear some compression on peaks. He then hooked up a borrowed pair of Border Patrol 300B amps with 18 watts. For what it's worth, I didn't hear the compression with the 2A3 amps and this was a very loud volume, louder than I would normally find comfortable. Also, to my ears the Vittoras did not have the same magical sound with the BP amps that they had with the 2A3 amps. This wasn't just due to the BP amps being cold when I first heard them; Greg left the BP amps running for the remainder of the day so I had a chance to hear them after they were fully warmed up as well. I am not saying this to put down the BP amps but rather to emphasize that for many listeners, such as myself, the 2A3 amps would have had plenty of power on the Vittoras.
SET amp comparable to First Watt SIT 1?
I’m currently planning to change my speakers to high efficiency horn from modern high end speakers (B&W). The speakers would be Volti horn speakers.
For amp, A friend of mine has First Watt SIT-1, which sounds great to my ears, but I have always been interested in tube SET, especially 300B. The problem is there are too many choices around, and I have read several online reviewers stated that 300B amps don’t sound as good as First Watt SIT 1, except extremely expensive ones with NOS WE300B.
Any suggestions?
My budget is around 7-15K. I don’t mind second hand ones, but I wish I could compare it with my friend’s SIT 1 before I decide to take it or not, so second hand unit is probably not an option.
For amp, A friend of mine has First Watt SIT-1, which sounds great to my ears, but I have always been interested in tube SET, especially 300B. The problem is there are too many choices around, and I have read several online reviewers stated that 300B amps don’t sound as good as First Watt SIT 1, except extremely expensive ones with NOS WE300B.
Any suggestions?
My budget is around 7-15K. I don’t mind second hand ones, but I wish I could compare it with my friend’s SIT 1 before I decide to take it or not, so second hand unit is probably not an option.