To "tube" or not to "tube"

hi nsgarch:

i need your advice. do you think there is much of a difference between one 275 and a 2102 (100 watt) driving a pair of magnepan 1.6 ?

i was told by the technician at mcintosh that when bridging the amps, the sound of the 275 changes. it loses some of its tubey quality. the overall presentation of two 275 amps is supposedly more transparent than that of one 275.

i'm also not sure what the difference is sonically between the 100 watt mac and the 275.

thanks for your input.

thank you for your comments, nsgarch.

at the moment i am using a pair of vtl deluxe 120s to drive the 1.6s. it is not possible to biamp. for a difference of 30 watts, and based upon your comments, i'd say a single 275 might be worth a shot rather than the 2102. if i want more power, i can always add another 275.

i have heard magnepans driven with solid state amps--levenson, audio research and nelson pass and have been very displeased with the treble response. i am always willing to sacrifice dynamics and bass articulation to get a more pleasant sound in the upper mids/lower treble.

thanks again, nsgarch. i found a dealer in wisconsin and got a good deal on a 275. i may buy a c220 as well.
i am also considering an audionote m2 and a navison mk 3. hopefully one of them will be warm enough.

hi neil, i don't expect to use telefunken 12ax7. i will use mullard 12ax7 or ge 5751 or rca 5751. i hope the amp is not too detailed. i may also try mullard 12at7 or rca 12at7.
hopefully the amp will be come with 6550, not kt88. i have no idea which 6550 tubes are mellower than current tubes. any ideas ? i am purchasing a mark V, new.

hi neil:

what fo you think will happen if i use lower gain 12ax7, namely 5751 ??

according to mcintosh, changing tubes will not change the sound of the amp very much. a dealer told me that the 6550 gives a more romantic sound than the kt88. in any case, i won't be getting the amp for about 10 days.