SS Amp Preference for DeVore Fidelity Silverbacks

Yeah I would have said try Pass but that's hot Class A.Small Plinius 50 watt a/b for warm SS sound?Have you tried the Redwine?Nice that they are easy to run so you can put $$$ into sound not watts.Want to follow this as I have horns and will probably stay wtih high to medium efficiency speakers (maybe the Devore 8 or 9),Zu's,Silverlines etc.But I am thinking T am for tone and running cool is worth a try.
Chazz

Chazzbo - Thanks for your reply. Red Wine is one that I am considering. I am not that familiar with Plinius but will add that to the list of contenders. In another system I have a pair of Omega Super 8 Alnico XRS being driven by a Bedini 25/25 that I was finally able to obtain within the past week. I have loved that amp since I first heard it back in the 80's. The Super 8's are 93db and 8 ohms and they are fabulous with the Bedini. I mention this amp because it is one that might be of interest to you, given your stated intention to probably stay with high to medium efficiency speakers. I know the Bedini would also be great with the Silverbacks, but it completely fails the criterion of running cool to warm. It is THE HOTTEST SS amp that I have ever encountered, but it is also the SS amp that in my experience best emulates many of the things I love about tube amps.

Best Regards,

Steven

Naim amps with DeVore speakers are highly regarded on Naim board.

This winter I spent a while listening to the DeVore Nines running off a Shindo Aurieges into a Jeff Rowland 102, and it sounded very good. I don't know if you are into Class D but that 102 was a really nice piece, I think.

Mlauner - I have heard the Naim NAP 250 with the Silverbacks. I found it to be a good combination but no where near as good as the Nagra. Not ruling out Naim, but once you move up the Naim food chain from the NAP 250, the price really starts to climb.

Price - I was wondering if anyone would recommend Class D or even Class T amps. I am keeping an open mind and will not eliminate either type of amp at this point. I am auditioning a Class T amp later this week.

Thank you both.

You are in a difficult position here. The devores are designed for tubes. I couldn't get a reply from jd when I inquired about ss. It was like the audio police were going to show up in my living room.

I tried rwa with the super 8 and 9 and found the combo bland in the end.

Sunscreen and ceiling fans go a long way. Luxman class A doesn't run that hot, nor does Esoteric IMO compared to some others.

My limited experience with 4k plus class d and t will remain limited when compared compared to tubes. Maybe Ayre SS??

I have heard from others that Sonneteer is a good match with Devores. I also hear Naim is as well.

read the Valvet review on Positive Feedback where it seems this might be a good amp for Devores. i have not heard it though.

Keithr - I JUST NOW finished re-reading the Positive Feedback Review for Valvet and saw your post suggesting it. It is one of the amps I am intrigued by, even though it is Class A. Wondering how hot it runs. Apparently there are quite a few Class A offerings out there that do not run all that hot, e.g., as Bjesien previously suggested wrt Luxman. The Valvet's do look nice, don't they? I too wonder how they sound. Thanks for the suggestion.

Mezzanine - Sonneteer is a new one for me. Will check it out. Thanks.

Bjesien - Did you have a particular Ayre SS amp in mind? (Hope you weren't thinking of their expensive monoblocks!)

MODWRIGHT

Darrin, care to elaborate?? Thanks.....

I have heard the Devore's at a few shows powered with Dan's amps and was really impressed every time with the synergy. I am a tube guy, but for the money I like Dan's ss designs. I remember sitting down at the show to listen to this pairing and thinking how little there was to criticize. The devores have such a laid back, very natural way about them that is utterly musical, and the modwright gear preserved this, but added a little jump factor to the presentation. The sound was excellent at the frequency extremes and the midrange still had texture and musicality in spades. I've had the opportunity to listen to Dan's gear in other systems and have consistently been impressed time after time. I hope this helps.

Darrin

I had an opportunity to listen to a early prototype of the Nines with JD via Shindo/Accuphase (it was very good) and spoke briefly with him about amps. He was certainly favoring tubes overall but I do recall him mentioning the Pass XA series and Sim Audio.

I would go with Naim all the way and I would
consider myself a tube lover. I have a 300B
integrated amp and a Naim XS integrated amp.
The Naim has won out in every category even
vocals. I am getting the in your room presence
on vocals with Naim.

However, the Niam is not your typical plug and
play. You do need at least 12 feet length of the
Niam Naca5 speaker wire with deltron plugs, which
is inexpensive, but believe me it just sounds right.
I also have the Teddycap mrkiii power suply. Highly
recommended. To get truy holographic imaging I use
Synergistic Research Powercell SE, Hologram A, Hologram D,
Apex ic's and T2. The Naim and Teddycap are powered by Audience
PDC, also highly recommended. Also, recommended are the
Audioprism ground control spades and rca's. They will give
you more width, depth, detail and improved timbre. I hear
the Walker HDL's are also worth the investment.

This combo has given me a remarkable holographic sound stage
with tons of air while giving a musical presentation that sounds like music. The Niam/DeVore combination is the most
emotionally captivating gear I have experience.

Also, since the Silverbacks are very efficient, I doubt that
you would even need Naim separates.