Giving up on the SET amps. I don't want to replace another expensive
tube and the heat from 805 tubes is a warm weather deal breaker.
Considering the Pass XA25
@lcherepkai That's a big leap. The heat of tube amplifiers comes mostly from the class of operation. In this regard a solid state amp will make about 90% of the same heat if operating in the same class. SETs are class A, and so are many of the Pass Labs amps. That's how they get the sound that they do. I am curious- there are tube amps out there that might be easier to live with than an 805-based SET, which would sound better and make more power (and may well make less heat, since SETs are inefficient in this regard). Why the big leap to solid state? If the heat is such a big deal, have you considered class D?