2. amps-preamps
  3. 1365867419

Tubes/SS Power Amps?


I've only heard, auditioned, listened to top of the line tube amps; consequently, I don't know squat about top of the line SS power amps. My problem is "heat". If the SS gets hot, I might as well have tubes.

Reviews that I've read on top of the line SS amps, always mention the heat. Rather than have a SS furnace in my listening room, I'll go with tubes. By the way, I don't think there's much difference between tubes and SS amps when you have a tube pre; especially top of the line. I'm searching for an amp in the vicinity of 100 watts per channel with balanced inputs, preferably mono blocks. Cool running SS is what I'm looking for. Can you help?
orpheus10
jmcgrogan2's avatar
jmcgrogan2
6,346 posts
 
04-15-13: Timlub
I am also fond of the newer Coda amps with a good tubed pre, I've heard very musical combinations there.

I am fond of the older Coda amps with a good tubed preamp. :)
shakedown
135 posts
 
LOL...Jmc...I think the same....I have a mixed system...for about 3-6 months (winter) I use my Modwright 9.0 tube pre into my B&K 200..Summer listening goes to my Coda CSi Integrated that gives me the sweetness as well...Happy with my Coda and Tube/SS combo for the seasons..Coda throws off some heat but not as much as two units combined.
jmcgrogan2's avatar
jmcgrogan2
6,346 posts
 
@Shakedown, I'm running a Cary SLP-98P F1 with a Coda Model 11 amp (100 wpc pure Class A). The 15.0 might be about the closest current offering to the 11.
wolf_garcia
6,737 posts
 
So "heat schmeat" was an insufficient response? And here I was trying to be succinct.
orpheus10 OP
8,668 posts
 

I will never forget one of my most enjoyable afternoons at a high end emporium. It was late October and a bit chilly in the small auditioning theater, when a customer came in requesting a big CJ tube amp. That amp put out as much heat as a small fireplace.

The customer was a fireman, and it just so happened that we liked the same music. While listening to the sounds of jazz, we discussed our preferences in amps. He liked the warm sound of CJ, and ARC was my favorite. This was at a time when those two amps were as different as night and day. While ARC is pretty much the same, CJ had what was called the "CJ glow"; it really did something special with jazz and horns, as he went on to explain.

There's no better way to spend an afternoon than discussing the merits of your favorite tube amp, while listening to jazz on high end equipment. Heat was a good thing on that day
More to discover