[en] We examine ion linac designs that start with a high energy radio- frequency quadrupole (RFQ) followed by either a drift-tube linac (DTL) or a coupled-cavity drift-tube linac (CCDTL). For high energies a conventional CCL follows the CCDTL. High RFQ output energy allows tailoring the transverse and longitudinal focusing strengths to match into the following structure. When the RFQ beam enters a higher frequency structure, the DTL or CCDTL starts with a low accelerating gradient and large negative synchronous phase. The gradient and phase both ramp up gradually to higher values. Other changes later in the machine are also gradual. Beam dynamics simulations show that these linacs require no separate matching sections. Applications include a cw 100 mA H⁺ beam from a 350-MHz, 6.7 MeV RFQ injecting a 700 MHz CCDTL and CCL; a 7% duty 28 mA H^- beam from a 402.5 MHz RFQ and DTL injecting 805 MHz structures; a cw 135 mA D⁺ beam produced by a 175 MHz, 8 MeV RFQ and DTL; and a 2.4% duty, 80 mA H⁺ beam using a 433 MHz 10 MeV RFQ and a 1300 MHz CCDTL. The machines take advantage of the considerable flexibility of the CCDTL. Designs can use a variety of different transverse focusing lattices. Use of two coupling cavity orientations permits a constant period even when the number of drift tubes per cavity changes along the linac