TADs SS Hibachi Amps

These are unusual ss amps in that they actually sound "tubey" ... for better and worse. That is, they sound warmer (in my system) than any other ss amps I've owned (Krell KSA 50s, Odyssey Stratos Mono, Bel Canto integrated). As for tube amp "midrange magic", maybe a modest dose, but don't expect the full blown SET experience. For my Merlin VSMs, this is the best ss amp I've heard. For my Verity P/E and my SF Cremonas, the Krell, Bel Canto and Stratos offer plusses and minuses that make the choice less clear cut.

My short answer: If you're looking for a reasonably powerful ss mono amp that has real warmth, few real weaknesses and a modest price tag, you could do much worse.

Good luck,

Marty

In my system, the amps really shine in the lower octaves. The only caveat is that they may be slightly "bumped up" in the upper bass area (the "warmth" I referred to in my earlier post). The effect is subtle, but audible on certain speakers. As I mentioned, I like this tonal balance on my Merlins, not so much on other speakers I own. As a general rule, I believe that these amps will work better as bass amps with speakers that are slightly overdamped than with those that are underdamped. Just MHO.

Good Luck,
Marty

Audiobb,

I am using the terms to describe:

Overdamped = tight, well defined bass response that may be reduced in level relative to the mid band and beyond. This is often (though not always) characteristic of sealed (particularly acoustic suspension) systems, and less often (though ocassionally) seen in ported speaker systems.

Underdamped = looser, fuller bass that may be elevated in level. This is more often (though not exclusively) found in ported or passive radiator systems and sometimes in infinte baffle sealed systems where the cabinet volume is large relative to certain performance parameters of the woofer.

Technically the terms have a somewhat more precise meaning, but for the purposes of understanding my earlier post, I hope that this is useful shorthand.

Good Luck,

Marty