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.

grauerbar

Showing 1 response by soix

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.