2. amps-preamps
  3. 159891-2029

Never Owned a Tube Amp and Want Advice

Hi All, 

I have never owned a tube amplifier before and am planning to purchase one with a minimum of 50 watts per channel to mate with 8 ohm 88 dbl speakers.

My hope is experienced audiogoners will share their expertise regarding how to approach this. While I realize listening is the best way to learn about sound and compatibility; I want to learn a better understanding about brands with less maintenance and longer tube life, how to decide between mono or stereo,can a newbie play with bias or is auto biasing a better first choice, etc.

I would also appreciate what to look for in selecting a used tube amp to identify one that might be in need of repair. For example, with solid state depending on the brand, capacitor replacement can be more of a concern. Any advice on what to look out for or ask about with used tube amps would be appreciated.

A big question I have is how to understand the relationship between power tubes like E34's, 120.s, etc. and, I guess the driver? tubes like 12au7's and 12at7's. That  is to ask which is more critical to the overall sound of the amp? FWIW, I routinely tube roll with my preamps.  

I 've read through a number of threads but maybe someone can point me to good ones I may have missed. 

Thanks for listening,

Dsper
dsper
luisma31
516 posts
 
Good post @davehg I concur. Your post reminded me of
  • VAC, the Statement 452 I did not like (i think it was paired with ML) could have been the pairing, not that I can afford the amp anyway, that is (was) the fun of audio shows
  • Airtight amps, it reminded me these sounded very good, I was much impressed with it, could have been good pairing as well.

jjss49's avatar
Ag insider logo xs@2x
jjss49
6,612 posts
 
my comments on some of the recent threads below:

1) linear tube audio’s zotl technology by berning does generate heat from output tubes, albeit less than typical transformer coupled tube amps of the same output that drive the tubes harder/hotter

2) power output of a tube amp matters, it matters greatly, esp. in light of the op’s 88 db/w/m speaker efficiency - unless you are in a very small room listening nearfield that speaker efficiency rules out many low wattage tube amps

3) yes most amps that employ the russian 6c33c tube will generate quite a lot of heat

4) ss and tube amps can both be low or high distortion, though tube amp's characteristic distortion tends to be more listenable and less harsh, even euphonic - as always, the specifics of the amp, its design, the tubes employed, and the speaker driven are key to the distortion produced and how it will affect the sound
dsper OP
663 posts
 
Hi Everyone, 

What is missing in the above thread is I am considering a pair of Tyler Acoustic Linbrook Signatures.

Because of the dual woofers, they will be 4 ohm,, and not 8 ohm with a sensitivity of around 88dbl.

The top end of loudness for me is about 80 to 85 decibels at my listening position, which is about 8 or 9 feet from the speakers. 

My goal was to try to stick to 60 watt tube amps to avoid the heat and very high tube replacement that comes with bigger tube amps. 

Everyone's comments and suggestions are appreciated. I am 68 and figure this might be my last all new system and I want to try to get it right; which causes me to ask these ridiculous questions. Thanks!



More to discover