One of my friends has the Strad and over the last few years I've heard them powered with Nagra VPA tube amps, ARC REF250 mono amps and Air Tight tube mono amps.
Personally I liked the Nagra/Strad pairing,but maybe because I heard that combination the most or perhaps hearing them both for the first time created a first impression that is hard to beat.
I've never heard the Strads powered by solid state amps,but I am sure that the laid back sound of the Strads would make them an ideal speaker for most any quality SS amp.
My friend doesn't have a large room, the speakers are on a sprung second floor, no concrete basement and only curtains to damp the sound.
All other components are upper high end as would be expected, which includes top flight vinyl and digital sources.
Besides always sounding very smooth, the Strads are great eye candy.
I am a Stat man, but if I ever had the dollars and wanted to go back to cones, the Strads would be at or near the top.
They are the best cones I've heard,but I haven't heard any of the top contenders in the last 5 years.
Personally I liked the Nagra/Strad pairing,but maybe because I heard that combination the most or perhaps hearing them both for the first time created a first impression that is hard to beat.
I've never heard the Strads powered by solid state amps,but I am sure that the laid back sound of the Strads would make them an ideal speaker for most any quality SS amp.
My friend doesn't have a large room, the speakers are on a sprung second floor, no concrete basement and only curtains to damp the sound.
All other components are upper high end as would be expected, which includes top flight vinyl and digital sources.
Besides always sounding very smooth, the Strads are great eye candy.
I am a Stat man, but if I ever had the dollars and wanted to go back to cones, the Strads would be at or near the top.
They are the best cones I've heard,but I haven't heard any of the top contenders in the last 5 years.