TubeHiFiNut

Thank you. What genre(s) of music do you prefer and how loud do you listen? I have an Almarro A205a SEP amp running EL-84 tubes, ~4 watts/channel. Works beautifully on my La Scalas for most music. The ~18 watts/channel CazTech SE-845 SET amps take things to a whole new level. If you are considering DIY, don't even think about tackling a build with 845 tubes. The B+ on these amps is 1250 volts and will kill you if you are not careful. Not for any but the most experienced builders. I'm not a DIY kind of person - no time and it doesn't appeal to me at this stage of my life. That doesn't mean that I don't understand the concepts of DIY. You may want to start with a SEP amp using EL-84s. Simple circuit and very musically involving.

SE amps must, in my opinion, be considered as one-half of the amp/speaker system. Take the time to match a properly designed and implemented SET or SEP with a synergistically matched speaker and, again in my opinion, that amp/speaker system can get you closer to the soul and the emotion of the music. Is SE a universal solution? No. I use low power PP tube amps when the Quad ESL-57 take center stage and higher power PP tube amps for the Martin-Logan CLS. But sitting down to listen to the combination of the 300B SET amps on the Lowther PM2a/Medallion or the 845 SET amps on the La Scala or JBL 4430 is a wonderful experience and really connects me with the music. So.....What speakers are you planning to match up to your SE amps?

Sweet looking system. Please post your thoughts regarding the Line Magnetic amp driving the Cornwalls after you audition the speakers.

A wonderful match for your Cornwalls!

I have not had the pleasure of living with a SET 45 amp - yet. Folks who have lived with both say that there are many similarities in the presentations of the 45 and 845, the 845 just has more power. Will have to get a good 45 based SET amp and see for myself. Definitely on my audio "must do" list. In the meantime, I can't wait to get home, warm up the system, settle in and listen to a lot of wonderful music.

Different tubes. The 45 tube produces ~1.5 watts in a SET configuration. The 845 produces ~18 watts in a SET configuration. In my opinion, a properly designed SET 845 amp is pure bliss on the La Scala. I have also heard La Scalas with a variety of transistor amps and, to my ears, there is no contest.The SET 845 based amps sounded much better and met my primary criteria of beckoning me to listen to more music.

I also prefer nearfield listening.

Currently running CazTech SE-845 monoblocks. Thinking seriously about getting one of the Line Magnetic 845 based amps to compare. Then I fire up the CazTech/La Scala combination and get really side tracked listening to the music.

Well said. With all due respect to those who would tell me what I should and should not like, that overbearing air of superiority does get really old, really fast. Please remember that the only person I have to satisfy with my system is me. And in 40+ years of audio as a hobby, I prefer tubes. If anyone prefers something different, I think that is wonderful. Whatever prompts you to listen to more music. This will be my only comment on this particular subject. Now, back to talking about tubes and La Scalas and Cornwalls. Did I happen to state that I really like 845 based SET amps on La Scalas?

Just my opinion, I would either get an electronic crossover and go active or stay with a single amp.

From my experience, a well designed tube amp (SET, SEP or PP) will have no issues driving Cornwalls.

The speakers on my current "do not sell" list (in no particular order): Klipsch La Scala (CazTech SE-845) Lowther PM2a in Medallion Cabinets (Quicksilver 300B prototypes) JBL 4430 (CazTech SE-845) Quad ESL-57 (Marantz 8B or McIntosh MC-30) Rogers LS3/5a (CazTech SE-845) Martin-Logan CLS (Audio Research D-160 running triode wired KT-90 outputs) IMHO, the amp/speaker synergy is critical - hence I listed the amp(s) I prefer with that particular pair of speakers.

I have driven my La Scalas with a wide variety of tube amps. My favorite La Scala amp is the CazTech SE-845 (Single Ended Triode, 845 tube, 18 watts). The Almarro A250a (Single Ended Pentode, EL-84 tube, 4watts), Quicksilver Monos (Push-Pull, originally 8417 tubes modified by Mike Sanders to run EL-34, ~40 watts), Dynaco ST-70 and ST-35, Heathkit UA-2, Marantz 8B and McIntosh MC-30 amps all sound beautiful too. In my opinion, you do not need high power to drive the La Scala. The La Scala really shines with high quality, low to medium powered tube amps.

I chose Jazz but my listening is fairly evenly divided between Jazz, Classical, Progressive Rock and Classic Rock with a decent amount of The Blues mixed in.

My LaScalas are driven by CazTech SE-845 amps. Having tried them with a variety of amps, SE and PP, this is the amp I prefer. The only things I rely on when evaluating components are my ears. If a new component results in my listening to more music, it stays. If not, it goes. Connecting me emotionally with the music, the pace, rhythm and soul of the music is paramount. It doesn't make any difference how good something "measures" if it doesn't meet my requirements. For me, SIngle Ended amps and Hi Efficiency speakers (like my La Scalas) combine to speak to me and keep me listening to music into the wee hours. This is what works for me. Others may find a different audio path.