Tube amp for falcon ls35a gold badge

hey there.

I've recently purchased a pair of falcon ls35a's. heard good stuff about tube amps (never had one), and thought that i might try and get my first.
would like to get recommendations about what amps works the best with those speakers.
i mostly listen to vocals - male and females, singer-songwriters, folk, country, blues and instrumental.

from the bit research i've already done, most people recommend el 84 and 34 amps, line magnetic amps, and sudgen (i know its SS).

thanks!

dahuky04-13-2021 8:04pm

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atmasphere Details Discussions Posts This discussion Message User 11,772 posts 04-13-2021 at 08:57pm Copy Comment URL Report Comment Edit Delete One of our employees owned the original BBC version of the LS35/a. They worked really well with our smallest amp, the S-30, which is triode and OTL. Because they are a bit power hungry you do need about 35-40 watts to make them sing.
charles1dad Details Discussions Posts This discussion Message User 10,250 posts 04-13-2021 at 10:02pm Copy Comment URL Report Comment Edit Delete @dehuky, Congratulations on acquiring the the Falcon LS/5a speakers. 1 what are the dimensions of your room? 2 what are your typical listening levels? 3 is there a budget ceiling? I do believe that a good quality tube amplifier would match really well with your speakers and given your music preference provide a very natural/organic presentation. A good push-pull el 84 or el34 amplifier is a good choice. I would however also suggest you seriously consider the Atma-Sphere S-30 or their M-60 mono blocks. These would pair beautifully with your 15 ohm speakers. I believe that you’d experience exceptional vocal and instrumental tone/timbreclarity. Best of luck, Charles
jjss49 Details Discussions Posts This discussion Message User 6,612 posts 04-14-2021 at 02:14am Copy Comment URL Report Comment Edit Delete lta zotl ref40 or more recent audio research for best transparency, bass drive with tube oriented sonic benefits in midrange beauty and holographic imaging don't know your budget... the above are pricey but worthwhile, imo
chicagoblue1977 Details Discussions Posts This discussion 224 posts 04-14-2021 at 02:48am Copy Comment URL Report Comment Edit Delete +1 for the LTA Ztol Ref 40. Was one for sale here on Agon a while back. That will be my next acquisition after some spring cleaning and selling some stuff.
perkadin Details Discussions Posts This discussion Message User 286 posts 04-14-2021 at 04:00am Copy Comment URL Report Comment Edit Delete Recent Tube convert myself. Well not a full convert, I still have and love my Simaudio W3. Anyway I’ve always been curious about the tube sound so I picked up a Willsenton R8 with KT88 tubes and it’s been simply incredible. I’m a huge skeptic, I figured it would sound pretty good but never thought 25 watts (in triode) would be enough. I paired it with my Dynaudio Contour 1.1s and the synergy is terrific. And they are not sensitive speakers (86db). The resale prices are so good on the R8 I figured I could try it out and sell it for near purchase price, but I don’t think I’ll ever sell this amp. I can’t wait to try tube rolling. One caveat though, while I fully recommend the R8, its the only tube amp I’ve owned and the only other tube amp I’ve heard was a Prima Luna HP so I have very limited experience with tubes. They might all sound amazing. 2 for 2 at least in my experience. My next piece of gear will probably be a tube pre for the W3.