Valve Amp for Sonus Faber Sonetto IIIs

the best audio research amplifier you can buy

I do not believe there is much advantage in using tubes with lower efficiency speakers. Tubes really shine in single ended triode configuration (300B tubes for example) into a high efficiency horn speaker at preferably 8ohms not 4ohms.

In my case I have a 300B tube amp into Klipsch Forte IV at 99db that sounds so holographic and realistic and musical.

When I tried KT88 and KT150 tubes into my Dynaudio speakers at about 86db and 6ohm it still sounded very good but not necessarily better than my Luxman Class A solid state amp or my Naim Class AB amp. So not much advantage to tube amp in that configuration IMHO.

@jjss49 

+1

I power my Sonus Faber Amati Traditional with Audio Research REF 160s in triode mode… so 70Watts per channel…. They can be played a lot louder (and sound good) that I ever want to hear them. 
 

One of the known synergistic combinations is Sonus Faber and Audio Research. Detailed, big soundstage, great imaging and midrange bloom and excellent bass. 
 

Once I switched to tube amps, I realized I never wanted to go back.

I think a lower power tube amp would be a bit under powered for your loudspeakers and big tube amps make a lot of heat and can be costly to run. How about a Unico Nuovo hybrid? Sweet sounding from what I hear. 

I don’t often recommend decware since there is a 2 yr wait. But currently there is a ZMA amp for sale on the Decware classifieds that is currently available and a smoking deal.

I have the ZMA and highly recommend it.

Your speakers are not the best for tubes but the ZMA is 35+ wpc and should handle your less efficient speakers well.

Good luck,

Jerry

Might consider the Rogue Pharaoh II 

Discussed here

@grauerbar

You have a couple of very nice Italian amplifiers under consideration. Given your taste in music I think that you would be happy with a good quality and well implemented tube amplifier.

I found a review of your speakers and it seems that they’re a fairly easy speaker load according to the reviewer.Paired well with both Their solid state and tube amplifiers. So the speakers appear to be a plausible possibility with your amplifiers of interest.

It’s doable, but if you’re going a pure tube amp it’ll cost some $$$ because you don’t wanna push an amp to near its power limits as you won’t get optimal performance. Good, higher-power tube amps cost $$$. You might get by with a Rogue Chronus Magnum, but a hybrid like the Unison Unico line or Rogue Pharaoh/Sphinx might be a best-of-both-worlds compromise. If I was you, I’d take a hard look at this Unison Unico Due that might be just the ticket…

https://www.ebay.com/itm/364023473071

If you’ve got the budget, the Octave V70SE is another one really worth looking into…

https://www.dedicatedaudio.com/products/octave-v70se-tube-integrated-amplifier
Here’s a review fyi…

https://www.soundstageultra.com/index.php/equipment-menu/423-octave-audio-v-70-se-integrated-amplifier

Best of luck in your search. 

Audio research is excellent, but for those speakers and a preference for classical music I would urge you to consider Rogue Audio, either their integrated amps or the RP9 and Apollo monos.  From personal experience, the Rogues work well with SF speakers.

I agree that a hybrid amplifier is a safe compromise choice. I just think that those Sonus Faber speakers will absolutely sing to the heavens driving by a high quality pure tube output. I’m bias with regard to tube amplifiers. 😊

Charles 

Of that group I'd go with the Synthesis Roma I am currently running their Encore, an older 6L6/5881 amp and it sounds very good. I also heard a pair of Synthesis KT66 monos at CAF sounding wonderful powering new Dolce Vita hornspeakers.

I’m using twin monoblocks with no more than 15 watts output from a pair of KT66s in triode on 89db sensitivity speakers in a big room, and have no trouble playing it louder than I ever want or need to go, and it’s nirvana for me. It doesn’t hurt to have more power, but to me it’s more important to have good power that sounds good. A good pure tube set up should sound wonderful with your Sonus Fabers. You have the resolution potential to hear the wonders of a pure tube setup. I would not compromise with a hybrid, because that’s what you’ll hear in the end. My amps happen to be old Dynas with the VTA mods, but there are plenty of good amps that’ll do the trick. You can fine tune the sound by rolling tubes later on once you’ve gotten used to your new sound. Good luck, and enjoy!

@knotscott

It doesn’t hurt to have more power, but to me it’s more important to have good power that sounds good. A good pure tube set up should sound wonderful with your Sonus Fabers. You have the resolution potential to hear the wonders of a pure tube setup. I would not compromise with a hybrid, because that’s what you’ll hear in the end.

Yes, this is my train of thought. Seek out the beauty, emotional engagement and naturalness of pure tube power.

@jond

Afterall these years I’ve learned that I trust your ears and judgement. I have no doubt that Synthesis Roma  amplifier sounds wonderful. I have more familiarity with Unison Research amplifiers. Italy is the home of some really fine sounding tube amplifiers along the natural sound side of the spectrum. Very good options are available for the OP.

Charles

@charles1dad Thank you and I'd say the same of you. And I did hear a Unison Research/Opera combo this past weekend at CAF it was an entry level amp the Unico and sounded pretty nice.

@jond 

At CAF did you happen to come across a brand/company called Angstrom Audio? Another example excellent Italian electronics. I heard their class A Stella integrated amplifier. Very nice and natural.

@charles1dad I didn't see them there but it was a big show and what a gorgeous amp!

@jjss49 totally agree. My Olympica 3s sound wonderful with the REF75SE.