Tubelike solid state: Ayre Vs Aleph

Hi All,
Thanks for all of your inputs. My next immediate plan is to try adding a small, fast subwoofer to the system. I may also try to borrow a big amp from someone. The avanti's are the fastest speaker's I've heard, and go down clean to 30 hz. It's really tough to fit a subwoofer into a system like this. I have to wonder if adding a stronger amp will get me the bass that I want. I know that putting a 375w/4ohm mccormack on my virgo's completely changed their bass output. I tried a larger 12" sub, but it was much to slow for the ap's. Ap's sub costs 6 grand retail....

The low level detail and speed of this system is something to wonder at. It's about the only system I've heard that gets the actual pace of music right. I don't want to give that up. It really does remind me of a set tube amp but with higher resolution.

I've actually tried the wolcott 220Ms with my old magnepans. By a big ol mile the best amp I've heard with magnepans. I didn't try them with a dynamic speaker, but my friend who loaned these to me said they didn't really do it for his wilson's. I'm interested in experimenting with new solid state amps for now. Been through a couple tube amps in the last year.

onhwy61, I completely agree. I've really never heard anything like the pass labs amps for their low level detail. The closest thing sonically is my 10 watt SET tube amp. The clarity and presence are even more pronounced with the modified scd-1. Because of their bass slam, I am probably not going to try an aleph 1.2. I would guess they are not going to give me the low end I'm looking for. Also, I don't think I want new heaters with twice the output of my current ones !

What interests me about the Ayre amp is that it too has only 2 gain stages. The k1x pre is also reputed to have one of the best phono stages anywhere.

Has anyone out there tried the Edge NL10 amp monster amp ?

I've been listening to a couple high end ss amps this weekend- the rowland 8tihc, and the edge nl10 (not in a high enough resolution system). I have to admit that the solid state amps in the big leagues are very nice to listen to. They don't sound like tube amps, but they aren't harsh sounding or annoying by any stretch of the imagination. The rowland seemed to get the instrument tex and harmonics very well. There's a weight to a monster ss amp that I don't get from a tube amp.

We put a tube dac (cal 24/96) and an audiomecca transport in front of some piega p40's. Outstanding, excellent excellent sound. Main characteristic being that it was very easy to listen to yet high resolution.

One of the problems with lots of high end ss systems is that you listen and initially you are impressed. You yak about how great it is and all. Two hours later, you quietly admit that there's really something vaguely annoying about this system. You quickly put this out of your mind because it's so expensive, yet it's still there. I didn't get that with the rowland setup at all. It was notably 'relaxing' to listen to. Very refined. Almost an 'elegant' sound to it.

I just ordered an ayre v-1x, so I will likely get that in the next week or so. Details to come !