Having just found this thread I am enjoying the comments by all!
I am thinking that you will really enjoy the Cortese. Do you still have the Devore speakers? Although I haven't spent much time with these speakers I was very impressed with them and I think the Cortese will be a nice match!
To the larger audience that follow this thread I enjoyed your journey . I have heard some of the amps commented on and was probably most impressed with the Air Tight but it was at a show and I was unfamiliar with the speakers so really not a solid recommendation. To hear all of the amps mentioned on a common system would probably be near impossible but it is nice to get different viewpoints from people in the know.
A few years back I decided to go the SET route. That led to a whole revamping of my system on really just a whim. Back when I started to listen in the late 60' early 70' I went to a demo of some highly efficient speakers, all vinyl and driven by some tube stuff, I was captivated and the experience still sticks in my mind. I don't really remember what the components were but I wanted to to experience that sound/ feeling again.
After some exploration I have settled on a Shindo Monbrison with a Cortese 300b. The speakers are a highly efficient pair of Coherent Audio Neo 18. I am extremely happy with the sound. As I do get around to listen to other components I know that there are many roads to Rome so I won't represent my system as the best. For me though it is amazingly musical and enjoyable to listen to. You can call me a Shindo fan!
Also I have compared the Air-Tight ATM-300R and the AN UK 300B Tonmeister on Avantgarde Uno XD speakers. When looking at the Air Tight it is the one to own... but sounically, I preferred the latter (better bass control, clearer and airier mids, overall more musical).
I am reading up on tubes and saw this report. Every Avantgarde has active bass but you are saying one amp has better bass than the other. How does this work? I am using the Avantgarde 300R in combination with the new Mezzos. Thank you
Didn't I mention that I have listened both amps with AN-E HE speakers as well, looks like I haven't, oops!! What I recall very well on the combo AVG Uno/AN Tonmeister was a clear, focus and "palpable" midrange listening mainly to jazz. Definetely it's worth a try I would say.
