2. amps-preamps
  3. 159531-110095

Tubes?

I have Revel Salon 2 speakers. Sensitivity is about 85 db. and 4 ohms. They are power hungry speakers. Currently, I am driving them with McIntosh 601's and a McIntosh solid state preamp. I was look looking at a pair of McIntosh MC2301. They are tube amps rated at 300 watts into 2 - 8 ohm loads. I listen to all types of music (sometimes at very high levels). I never run out of power with the 601's, but I am very intrigued with tubes. This may be a misconception, but I remember some friends who played guitar saying, tube watts were louder than solid state? Perhaps this is not really true or not true regarding home stereo. Perhaps the best idea is to keep the 601's and get a good tube preamp?                          Thanks, Dave 
128x128tobor007
mozartfan
2,143 posts
 
its numbers then SS. If its music then tubes. It really is that simple.

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well Richard Gray just insalled my new Millennium tweets and new silver wires from navships,,
He suggests the Thrors at 87db are not ideal match for the Jadis Defy7,,
He highly recommends i either swap speakers ot swap amp to ss amplification.
Told him can'yt part with either..
I think what richard is getting at is, the Thros Excel drivers really prefer ss amplification to work their best...
So I may get more dynamics in  the upper midrange frenquencies , but lose some of the tubes musical magic,, always a trade off somewhere.
ss amplification will never ever work for me. 
btw Richard is refering to hi fi solid state,, HA,, ya gonna pay for that. 
Seas, Scan speak offers high sen speakers, but i am a  fan of the Excel line.
mozartfan
2,143 posts
 
As was mentioned several times earlier get a tube preamp with octal tubes like the 6sn7, also a tube rectifier. I put a tube preamp in front of my krell amp and it sounds great, it sounded horrible with the solid state preamps
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My guess is most high power ss fans , go with this ideal tube pre amp.
However a  great tube pre ain't cheap.  = has to be clean, no coloring,,I just sold off a  LS9 chinese Jadis clone 12AT7 3 stage,, clean, pure sonics, , no added color to circuit,,,, with Mundorf caps , $750. = steal, but its goneeee
mozartfan
2,143 posts
 
 I'm more of a mid range and low end guy myself

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I am about to make a  topic on just this subject, ss amps voicing the 3 main frequency ranges vs tubes performance in the 3 frequenct phases.
Should get alot of discussion going on.
I'm busy putting final touches on my upgrades in my entire system,, let me complete, and then I'll start a discussion.
Just saying mids are like 90% of the music we listen to.
I never make a  final judgement on  a  speaker/amp performance  by highs/lows, 
'Always mid frequencies is my concern. 
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