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What's The Best Blooming Tube Amp?

When people think of tubed power amps, they think primarily of descriptive terms like warm tonal balance, harmonically rich and midrange bloom.
But many tube amps, particularly more modern varieties, tend to be voiced to have more of a neutral sound.

The power amps of old, like the Leak Stereo 20 and the Quad II's were warm, rich and full of that 'tube magic', wheras some of the amps from Audio Research and even perhaps some of the bigger Cary's tend toward a more neutral tonal balance.

So, what are your favorite tubed power amps that are renowned for their midrange bloom and harmonic richness?
Forget about those attempts at trying to combine Solid State attributes with tube-like qualities, what's the best blooming tube amp you've ever heard?

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jafox
1,451 posts
 
The ARC VT130 is one heck of a bloomer .... especially with KT88s. This is an absolute incredible performer at the often seen A'gon price of $1700. Even today I wish I had kept mine.
philjolet's avatar
philjolet
2,306 posts
 
My Audio Note Soro SE is pretty darn neutral and still full of bloom.

I do not know how they do it and I do not care :)
umn
65 posts
 
Conrad Johnson MV-55. It has great midrange bloom, yet also relays a lot of detail. (The current MV-60 is too neutral.)
bigshutterbug
379 posts
 
The new VAC Phi 30/30 with it glorious, powerful, and detailed 300B sound will certainly give you midrange bloom and richness that is to die for. Drives most speakers to sane listening levels without breaking a sweat too!
larryi
3,776 posts
 
By "bloom" I think of the way some tube amps are able to create the illusion of sound expanding into an enormous space and enveloping the listener (as compared to the relatively flat soundfield of most solid state amps). I don't particularly like tube amps that accomplish merely the sense of envelopment by being tonally warm or creating a large soundfield by being a bit phasey sounding.

Some of the best I've heard include: Audionote Gaku-On ($250,000 211-based SET); Audionote Kageki (the 2a3 SET amp I own); Art Audio PX25; a custom pair of OTL amps (recently sold used for @$60,000); and a custom pair of 2a3/45 parallel SET amps (uses Audionote trannies). I have a pair of pushpull 45 amps that have some of that kind of bloom, but not quite like the Kageki. I know others hear that quality with higher powered pentode pushpull amps, but I personally don't hear quite the same magic.
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