@smolder -
If you get the RIGHT tube amp (and there are many) you will be happy
If possible get out to stores and listen for yourself - I trust my ears much more than magazine reviews. And don’t be afraid to ask them to connect different amps and speakers.
Good luck with your quest - there is no right or wrong - just as long as you are happy :-)
Regards - Steve
If you get the RIGHT tube amp (and there are many) you will be happy
- you can try different tubes - tube rolling - to tailor the sound
- Manley make some nice amps, but there are many others
- My foray into tubes was a disaster, but I relied on the retailer - not good,
- tubes can be amazing, but they do get quite hot
- Ask for opinions on this forum for brands
- I chose a NAIM amp once and while I liked the sound very much, having to replace all the caps after 10 years I thought was unreasonable
- I now own a Bryston, which comes with a 20 year warranty (i.e. from the date of manufacture) and it has a similar tone to the NAIM, which I like a lot, but with more details, clarity and punch
- There are several solid state designs now available, e.g. high current and symmetrically balanced - each have their quirks
- Some high current solid state amps do not like speaker cables that have a high capacitance, which can result in component failure - tubes do not suffer from this problem
- again, there are many awesome solid state amps out there, so ask for opinions on this forum for brands
- power cables can make a difference, but as you move up in amp quality, you have to also use higher quality cables
- Speaker cables can make or break the sound of any amp and can impact dynamics, details, clarity and imaging, so choose them wisely and you’ll save a bundle
- Since you’ve built amps you might want to take a look at this link for DIY cables - My Audio Alchemy (image99.net) - BTW, if you have any questions just ask
If possible get out to stores and listen for yourself - I trust my ears much more than magazine reviews. And don’t be afraid to ask them to connect different amps and speakers.
- I have no shame in requesting that a $600 bluesound streamer be connected to an $80,000 system. It sounded very nice :-)
Good luck with your quest - there is no right or wrong - just as long as you are happy :-)
Regards - Steve