Les,
Just ran upon your post and thought (even if it's late) I'd throw in my two cents.
After going thru many different amps (both ss and tube), I wound up purchasing an Audio Research VT100 MkII. Wonderful. Simply wonderful. Full, rich, big-bodied sound, with a huge soundstage. It's just a wonerfully musical sounding amplifier. Forget all the audiophile mumbo-jumbo about this or that, and go for the music first!!
It'll wind up costing you a bit more than the $1500 that you were looking to spend (I paid $2400 for mine here on A'gon, but it was in premo condition, with relatively new tubes). I usually see them going for around $2100.
First, I tried a VT100 MkI, which I really liked. The MkII version of the VT100 doubled it's power supply (which tightens the sound, and gives it more punch than the MkI), added an IEC connector to allow you to use your own choice of power cable, added a really silent fan for tube cooling and added some rings on the driver tubes to help with tube microphonics.
I also listened to the MkIII version, but I prefer the earlier MKII and MkI versions (the MkIII uses FET's in place of 6922 driver tubes, and as such I felt it lost some of the rich, big bodied sound that I liked so much with the MkI and MkII versions). I'm sure there will be others who would disagree with me regarding the MkIII. This is just what I hear, both in my system and others.
My only reservations on the VT100 MkII is a slight softness with the transients in the bass, and somewhat of a closed-in top-end (which may be a synergistic match with you electrostatic panels). Right now, I am addressing these slight problems with power cords, feet, and interconnects, with great results.
Let me close by saying that even with the above problems, I simply love the sound of this amplifier. If you look-up "musicality" in the dictionary, you'll see a picture of the VT100 right next to it. It's truly an amp worthy of your consideration. I really don't think you'd be disappointed.
I hope this helps.
Louis
Just ran upon your post and thought (even if it's late) I'd throw in my two cents.
After going thru many different amps (both ss and tube), I wound up purchasing an Audio Research VT100 MkII. Wonderful. Simply wonderful. Full, rich, big-bodied sound, with a huge soundstage. It's just a wonerfully musical sounding amplifier. Forget all the audiophile mumbo-jumbo about this or that, and go for the music first!!
It'll wind up costing you a bit more than the $1500 that you were looking to spend (I paid $2400 for mine here on A'gon, but it was in premo condition, with relatively new tubes). I usually see them going for around $2100.
First, I tried a VT100 MkI, which I really liked. The MkII version of the VT100 doubled it's power supply (which tightens the sound, and gives it more punch than the MkI), added an IEC connector to allow you to use your own choice of power cable, added a really silent fan for tube cooling and added some rings on the driver tubes to help with tube microphonics.
I also listened to the MkIII version, but I prefer the earlier MKII and MkI versions (the MkIII uses FET's in place of 6922 driver tubes, and as such I felt it lost some of the rich, big bodied sound that I liked so much with the MkI and MkII versions). I'm sure there will be others who would disagree with me regarding the MkIII. This is just what I hear, both in my system and others.
My only reservations on the VT100 MkII is a slight softness with the transients in the bass, and somewhat of a closed-in top-end (which may be a synergistic match with you electrostatic panels). Right now, I am addressing these slight problems with power cords, feet, and interconnects, with great results.
Let me close by saying that even with the above problems, I simply love the sound of this amplifier. If you look-up "musicality" in the dictionary, you'll see a picture of the VT100 right next to it. It's truly an amp worthy of your consideration. I really don't think you'd be disappointed.
I hope this helps.
Louis