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Tube amp with Vienna Acoustics Beethovens?

Hey Everybody,

I currently runn VA Beethovens with a McCormack DNA 125 amp and VTL TL 5.5 preamp with a Rega Planet CDP. I was wondering if anybody is running a tube amp with the Beethovens. I was wanting to give a tube amp a try but only have about $2000.00 to spend. I prefer to buy used. Any suggestions? I live in an a condo so I can't really turn up the sound too much so high SPLs are not a priority. I listen to rock, bluegrass and I am just getting into classical.
Thanks,
Jim
desmondjim
newbee
4,794 posts
 
I'm not sure what aspect of your sound you are expecting to improve with a tube amp. Tube amps do sound different from each other tonally speaking, so I would assume you are looking for liquidity and bloom, not more warmth. Personally I would be looking at some of the push pull 80wt (+/-) amps using. Look at getting one from a well known manufacturer so if you are not happy it will be easiy to resell and not loose a lot. Think CJ, ARC, VTL, etc. The CJ ll is a nice place to start. Easy to operate and easy to resell, and sounds quite nice and has adequate power. I see them selling for well under $2000.
mthieme
74 posts
 
The BAT vk60 is a great amp, and can be found for less than 2k. I don't know what your power requirements are but I had one running Martin Logans with lower sensitivity than your va's and was quite happy.
desmondjim OP
67 posts
 
Thanks for your input Newbee and Mthieme.

I was thinking about amps in that power range but I started to have second thoughts when I read the recommendation chart on the VTL web site. They suggest that with speakers with two 6" woofers to use the MB 185. I was thinking more along the line of their ST 85. Would a <100 watt amp have the damping factor needed to control a speaker with five drivers? The Beethovens have 2 7" woofers, 2 mids and 1 dome tweeter. They present a 4 ohm load but have 91 dB sensitivity.
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