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SET sound without a lot of money

Any experience or opinions on the Almarros, Music Ref RM10 mkii, or the Joule Electra Stargate amplifires? Looking for a good SET experience without overly-colored sound or congestion, while pushing enough current to excercise existing 91db speakers at low to moderate volume. I would like to swap one of these occassionally into my system without having to rebuild (re-buy)a whole new system to accomodate a tradional low-watt 2A3, 45, or 300b amp.
erfranke
bigshutterbug
383 posts
 
Listen to an Almarro 318B or an Audion Sterling Integrated. Both put out about 18 w.p.c., sound excellent, and are well under $2,000 on the used market. Match them with moderately efficient speakers, sit back, and let the music flow!
defride
89 posts
 
I heard Almarro mono's driving Marten Miles 3 in a small room, very musical and easy to listen too in a small room. Pre's were VTL and front end CEC transport into AMR dac. Well worth investigating the brand from my limted experience.
schubert
7,386 posts
 
Speaking of B.S Inna,the query was SET sound not just set per-se.
schubert
7,386 posts
 
BTW,the 10 watts a side of my Sophia Baby is quite adequate
to power my Rega RS3's in a 12x11 room,as is the 8 watts of my Eastern Electric MiniMax for that matter.
Rega rates them at 89db (6 ohm spkr.).
ekwisnek's avatar
ekwisnek
27 posts
 
I am a Vienna owner and I'm not convinced you could drive the Beethoven's with such low wattage and more importantly low current. The advertised efficiency is a bit of a fib as they don't show you the impedence curve. In the bass region the impedence can drop to as low as one ohm. Without global feedback or a higher damping factor you may experience a lot of bass warble even if you got them to play at acceptable listening levels. I know it doesn't really help answer the question, but wanted to offer that warning.
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