Allow me to suggest a SS option few people remember to point out: the SPL Phonitor. I was never a big fan of the HD800 until I started to use it with it. The HD800 legendary imaging in addition to Phonitor's excellent crossfeed hardware implementation is a no brainer for auditioning classical. I been listening mostly to Haydn symphonies lately in this combo and believe me, it doesn't make me miss so much my Orpheus system. It reaaly gives a soundstage that is the next to the real thing in a theater.
The DNA Stratus is also an execellent choice.
Madbull and Others,
Thanks for your suggestion.
I am aware of both the SPL Phonitor and Auditor and I understand them both to be excellent SS amps. Regarding the Phonitor much of what you are paying for are cross-feed functions. My Grace m903 a very good cross-feed circuit (designed by Jan Mier) that is defeatable. I almost never use it. I did not include SE SS amps like the Auditor, Phonitor and the Violectric V181 or V200 in my list because I regarded them (rightly or wrongly) to be in a similar class to what I have now with my m903.
If I decide to go SS instead of Tube (still on the fence), I was thinking that either a HeadAmp GS-X from Justin (delivery time is a concern here) or a YBM built AMB Audio Sigma/Beta 22 (no warranty on a DIY is a concern) seem like my top SS choices. These concerns are not limited to the SS amps. All three tube amp companies are small, individual based as well.
But I have definitely narrow my choices to:
AMB Audio Sigma/Beta 22 built by YBM
DNA Stratus
Eddie Current Zana Deux SE
HeadAmp GS-X
Woo Audio WA22
All are likely a "step up" from my m903 in terms of performance, but they will all have somewhat different signatures. I am unclear as to the exact nature of the differences, so now that I have narrowed down to these 5 amps discussing the differences between the amps in this post?
My understanding based on what I have read (the caveat), is that the GS-X is the more neutral amp compared to the sigma/beta 22. Do people agree with this?
Among the three tube amps, the ZD is the most transparent and the WA22 is the most euphonic withe the Stratus falling in between. Do people agree with this?
Being without the ability to audition before purchasing it is quite difficult to decide. I can go the route of contrast to m903 (something euphonic) or something more detailed (akin from changing from my K702s to HD800s). The tube amps all offer the advantage of sonic tune ability with tube rolling. Some questions here:
Can the ZD be made a bit more warm by tube rolling? Inversely, can a WA22 be made less warm and lush by tube rolling? I have read that the Stratus can be changed dramatically by changing out 2A3s.
So the tweak ability of a tube amp seems to hold some advantage in a buy it blind situation. Do folks agree with this? I am fairly sure that all of these amps are a step up in terms of HD800 performance, it is about finding the best fit to what I said that I was looking for in my OP.
Does one of these 5 amps excel more than the others in these listening attributes WITH HD800s?
Bass Performance
Not bloated, but solid, detailed, textured bass with more "slam" than the m903 provides.
Sonic Detail & Dynamics
One thing that I enjoyed with the m903 was the level of sonic detail that I can hear. I want to any amps excel in presenting micro details and micro/macro dynamics an amp that can rapidly respond to the demands of a musical passage.
Sound Stage & Imaging
It is already quite good on my m903, but an amp that both translates the recorded space supremely in terms of depth and width and instrument location within the image would be welcome