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!
Valve Amp for Sonus Faber Sonetto IIIs
I'm looking to move into the enticing but deeply confusing world of valve amplification. The more I read online the more bewildered I become. The SF Sonetto III's that I own are 89db sensitivity and 4ohm nominal impedance and I've seen the suggested amplifier output given as anything from 50W to 250W. Can anyone enlighten me as to realities of the situation. I don't play music at ear-bleeding levels, mostly it's classical--chamber to opera, jazz, and acoustic, although I sometimes get nostalgic for my lost youth and play King Crimson and Jethro Tull.
I'm currently looking at the Sinfonia & Triode amps from Unison Research, the McIntosh MA252, and the Synthesis Roma 510AC.
Any thoughts or advice (of the idiot's guide variety preferably) others may have will be gratefully received.