A few quick photos of a system in flux - Duo XD ...

No, I had decided a long time ago that’s what I wanted after hearing Uno XD at a local audiophile’s home. I could not stop thinking about them. The stars aligned and was able to finally get a pair. I took a bit of a chance but I was extremely confident. Absolutely no regret.

I have the Uno XD´s also in my system nr. 2. I think they are really really good! And a very good value also (though they are not cheap).
 
The Valvet E2 is simply outstanding.

I think Sugden or Accuphase E650 could be superb as well.

Joe - You mention Sugden and Accuphase with your Avantgardes. These are two brands that I've tried with my AGs after I decided to switch from tube to ss.

I had the Sugden Masterclass FPA-4 (recently discontinued) but it was decidedly lacking in the excitement factor that one expects from Avantgarde. Returned to dealer after a week of home demo.

I have (still) an Accuphase A36 which I believe is the power amp version of the E650 - 30 watts Class A. It's a great amp, beautifully built with unusual and welcome features in particular the Gain switch on the front panel - absent from the E650 I notice. I generally use the -12 dB setting, but there's still plenty to satisfy the AGs. I'd love to love this amp, but again it's been very slightly off the game with the AGs. A little too polite maybe and very slightly short of the sparkle factor needed to get the best from AGs.
 
Hi Peter,

It turns out that I wasn’t crazy about the E-650 on my Avantgarde. I never tried Sudgen.

I understand that reducing the gain of Accuphase amps affects the sound negatively. It almost clouds up the sound a little.

I know several who use and absolutely love the Luxman 590 on their Avantgarde so I’m eager to hear it on mine.

There’s a new First Watt F8 coming which could be awesome. Hopefully I’ll be able to get an F7 on them soon.
 
I had the Sugden Masterclass FPA-4 (recently discontinued) but it was decidedly lacking in the excitement factor that one expects from Avantgarde. Returned to dealer after a week of home demo.

I tried the Sugden stereo amp on my Devores. I found it somewhat dull too, but smooth. Then again, Devores really prefer tubes and are designed that way ime.
 
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