Amp choice, now I'm confused...

Not sure if this is the best place to post this, or if it should go under consumer amp, please move if needed.

I have been powering the speakers in my avatar using a trends TA-10 for the top (2450 + 2405) and a HK Citation 22 for the bottom (2235H) for a couple of years now, with an active XO, and feeling the results to be quite decent, even if the bottom end wasn't the most extended. Last week, my Citation 22 (it's a 200W/channel amp) decided to give up, and had to be 'retired' from the system. I replaced it with the only thing I have available right now, an Aurexx crystal amp (see http://www.arexx.com/arexx.php?cmd=goto&cparam=p_aurexx ), a beastly 3.5W/ch single ended EL84 based amp. Quite to my surprise, the final result is a LOT more enjoyable from a musical perspective than with the Citation 22... And the low end is even quite decent, it sounds deeper, but less controlled (I have a smallish room, so even with orchestral music the little crystal does not fall apart on complex/loud passages). OK, I knew all along that the Citation wasn't a stellar performer, but I wasn't prepared to such a change...

I had started to look out for a replacement amp similar to the Citation 22, a higher power SS affair or something like the new bel Canto or Rotel 'digital' amps, but now I am really hesitant. I would like to find something that will maintain the higher musicality I'm currently enjoying with the lil' crystall but with a tighter grip on the 2235 (and within acceptable budget of less than 2000 euros if possible).

Any suggestions here from people who would have gone the same way? should I rather look out for a lower power full class A SS type amp, I think that even second hand it would be difficult to find a good single end higher power tube amp within my budget (845 based?)... Now I'm confused....

Thanks

If it's the one I'm thinking of, it's highly regarded!

Regards, Ron

mmmh, i don't think I will, it's a late Citation model, nothing to do with a Citation II or Citation 16, altough well and solidly built.

I already had to have it fixed (under warranty, thankfully I bought it 2nd hand from a shop offering warranty) after I got it and all the output transistors in one channel blew following some oscillation... Now it nearly placed by 2235 into orbit, there's no way I'm letting it close to these drivers again!!

If you like the sound of the tubed low end, why not try out a 25-30W P-P tube amp? I don't know where you crossover between the 2235 and the 2450...500-800Hz? But in the bass region, I'm not sure you would notice a lot of difference between single-ended and P-P. The little EL84 in single-ended mode will have not only a high output impedance, but also not enough power to drive the 2235 without clipping at reasonable levels. Clipping tubes produce mostly low order (2nd and 3rd) distortion products and thus don't sound as evil as clipping SS amps which produce higher-order distortion (5th, 7th, etc.). Since you have a smallish room, AND you prefer your tube low-end sound to the Citation, this might get you the best of both worlds.

If you want to stick with solid state driving your 2235's you can't go wrong with a Bryston 4BST or the later 4BSST or the newest 4BSST/2 (/2 being representative of "squared").

The 20 year warranty is a nice feature as well.