2. amps-preamps
  3. 1314364283

Assistance with Coincident set-up

I have Coincident Total Victory IV speakers with Frankenstein II 300b amps and a Supratek Cortese Preamp. The components sound very good but when I listen to classical music I would like to have a little more push when the music goes from a soft passage to something loud.
I don’t want to lose any low level detail , that the Frankenstein amp is known for, or as little as possible.
I have $4000-$5000 to spend on new or used.I can’t afford the Dragon II amps they are 10K, and that is out of the question but if I had the money that is what I would get.
My question is will a more powerful amp help or if I changed the preamp would that give the classical music a little more up front push? I want a remote control and phono with the preamp.The Coincident speakers and amps sound very good, My system never sounded so good , I hate to mess with it but if I can make the classical music a little more dynamic I’ll be all set .
I’ve only had two tube amps in the past one a 300b and the other a 45. Is there another tube other than the 300b someone can recommend ?
I’ll keep the Frankenstein until I can find and amp that has the low level detail of the Frank with more power.I may keep the Frankenstein forever it is that good !

Any suggestions are greatly appreciated, my listening room is 12 feet wide and 17 feet long with 7.5 feet ceilings.

Abill
abill
onemug
784 posts
 
300b amps are among my favorite amps. I'd think long and hard before you let go of the Franks.

A PP or PSE amp using a big triode like the 845 or 211 might work for you but I haven't found one that has that "magic" that SE seems to do. VAC and Canary make some powerful PP 300b amps if that's the road you need to travel.

If SE is your road, then maybe a Cary 805 Anniversary Edition. I use it to drive Magnepan 3.6's occasionally. It uses a 300b to drive either the 845 or 211 output tube. This would give you about 6 db more class A power than the Franks and 10 db in class A2 for those big peaks. Most important: It sounds good to me and as I said, I love a 300b amp. Used should be within your budget. Good luck.
divo
60 posts
 
I strongly suggest you change your preamp to the Coincident Statement. It really mates well with the Franks and extracts more oompf and dynamic power out of the Franks.
I have owned the Franks in a larger room than yours with good effect on large orchestral works like Reiner's Scheherezade. The TV4s don't need that much power.
charles1dad's avatar
charles1dad
10,250 posts
 
Abill,
My system is similar except I have the Total EclipseII speakers(possibly an easier load?) in a 14x 25x8 room that open into a 16x 25 space. I have no volume or sound pressure issues. However I do use the Coincident linestage which is a very powerful sounding with wonderful dynamic scale and gravitas. This linestage combined with the Frankenstein is superb! i most often listen to jazz,small combo and big band, both sound great. When I do occasionally play larger scale classical it handles it well, no congestion and maintains a sense of ease at 90-95db levels.

If large scale classical is your main music fare, then a bigger amp would likely fit your needs. The linestage will also make a significant difference. There are some trade offs,there are amplifiers with more power but may be hard pressed to equal what the Frankenstein does so well.
Best of Luck,
abill OP
80 posts
 
I agree with Onemuk , as I would think long and hard befor I let the Franks. I don't think I will ever let them go.

It may be my preamp, I was considering the Coincident but I need rca connections for my tuner, cdplayer and I also listen to vinyl.
I also like a remote control. I never used a preamp with dual volume controls. When I change the volume I guess I need to change them both ? It seems like a hassle, change both channels volume and keeping the balance between the channels correct ??

Most of my listening is 50% vinly, 25% cd's and 25% tuner ( TU-X1 ).

Thank you everyone for the excellent comments.
I may call Israel and dicsuss this.
charles1dad's avatar
charles1dad
10,250 posts
 
Abill,
Another point, the initial production CSL had 20db of gain and this was far too much for my system. the current CSL has 10db of gain which is just right for me. If you`re interested give Israel a call for his suggestion concerning gain choices.
More to discover