2. amps-preamps
  3. 1045342171

How Do I Start Playing With the Big Boys and Girls

I've been into all kinds of music for 40+ years. Until now I haven't done anything to upgrade my equipment since 1985. I'm not interested in how loud I can go but how sonicly pure I can attain. What amp and pre-amp should I be looking at to power some Sonus Faber Signum speakers, which are bookshelf in size but big in sound? I'm also using a Linn Sondek LP12 turntable. I'd love to go into the tube amps (McIntosh for example), but I am overwhelmed with the choices and different power specifications.
jcbach
jcbach's avatar
jcbach OP
46 posts
 
Yes Eldragon, "music heaven" would be terrific to live with considering I'm a music educator and my high school band occasionally sounds like the opposite of music heaven. To answer Cellorover and Gregm, my music interests are very eclectic, from classical, jazz, rock, world, techno, etc. but I would say the focus is jazz and classical first. When one suggests they are into clasical though, isn't that misleading, as there are so many forms and styles? I'm thinking that the Gymnopedies for piano by Erik Satie would demand something different from the equipment than the last dance movement of The Firebird Suite by Igor Stravinsky or even The Blue Danube by Johann Strauss, as examples. Is there equipment in the area of amps that is known for being able to reproduce and handle the wide variety of sonic demands that classical music puts upon the ear? Thanks again for all the input.
crazy4blues
243 posts
 
Eldragon: Not sure what you're getting at, but I was really just trying to suggest to JCBACH that his search for the right equipment is more complex than ss vs. tube (or maybe you don't like the PS Audio product?); there will be surprises along the way. The bottom line is that each of us must make our own choices based on listening, and it's a good idea to do that by first casting off any prejudices such as ss=better bass, tube=detail, more $=better sound.
sogood51
2,157 posts
 
Zaikesman, I was not trying to have Jcbach belive anything. In his post he stated his goals for his system and I gave him my advice on how to reach those goals. He stated that he did not care about hihg volume levels and wanted his system to sound sonicly pure, (I thought people bought tubes to get some of that tube sound?) I like tubes and I like the tube sound but he did not ask how to get that tube sound,he said (sonicly pure)and I gave him the best answer I could to reach his goals. For you to try to make him think that he can reach those goals by just getting tube gear that has no tube sound (why would someone want tube gear with no tube sound anyway) is bad advice on your part. I have no problem with anyone that wants to add what tubes can do for their system, sounds like you may have a problem with what a passive can do for a system though. If you and Eldragon think he can get a more pure sound with tubes than he can with a good passive,then more power to ya, I would never give anyone that kind of advice when their goal was sonicly pure.
tonnesen
143 posts
 
Jc - I just saw this thread, I have the Signums and I have been very happy with them, amazing speakers. I auditioned them in a local audio store with SS and tube amps, and felt there was a huge difference, much more involving sound with the tubes.

The amps that I auditioned with were a pair of used Golden Tube Audio SE-40 set up as mono amps, so 80 w per speaker.(I had been auditioning electrostatic speakers for weeks but was so impressed that I bought the signums along with the used GTAs).

I've heard that the Sonus Faber do need a lot of power considering their small size...which maybe makes sense given that they produce a great sound for the size. Let me know if you need info from the manual - I can make a copy for you.
More to discover