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Von Schweikert VR4JR & Tube Amp???

So...without boring you with too much details, I've been FORCED to move my rig into a small dedicated room in my basement. I currently have the above speakers, Marantz SA8260 SACD/CD, Marantz PM7200 (95wpc), Kimber Silver Streak, Audioquest Montblanc & CV-6. My room is only about 12x10 and it's in a corner of my finished basement so, I have two walls that are poured concrete behind the paneling. Obviously, the sound sucks. Since the room is fully enclosed and mine alone, I literally had to surround the room with R-15 Insulation covered with heavy felt moving-blankets and built some baffling in the corners. Ceiling is typical foam drop-ceiling tiles. Floor is carpeted. After some experimentation with speaker placement, I have ACCEPTABLE sound accross most frequencies except the bass (too boomy). Now here's the question: I'm hoping to make the following hardware changes as final adjustments since I might be here for awhile: Replace the PM7200 with a Primaluna Prologue 2 or Manley Stringray and the Audioquest cables with Kimber 8TC. I don't have the experience with or the ability to audition the considered new gear but, what do you wise and insightful folks think???
pawlowski6132
pardales
652 posts
 
So, do you guys think a BAT VK-55 would be powerrful enough to drive the JR's fully? I am curious about tubes and listen at pretty low volumes -- but I like to have full sound a low volumes.
blindjim
3,092 posts
 
Pardales...
Geoff Poor of BAT had originally recommended the 55 to me as a bi-amp option... One at first, add one later on…so actually two VK55... and run them bridged to 110 wpc. "Well, sure thing, Geoff!" If I had Geoff's money I'd throw mine away... but he's a great guy and has provided me a lot of good insights along the way... and by the by, their head of sales... go figure... Having heard the JR's with less power, though not at high volume levels, "Drive them?" Sure. Drive them at high levels I'd think so but can't testify to it. With 87db efficiency the JR's, as many others with that level of efficiency, can be hungry for power to develop signals in the upper ranges of the volume happy end of things..and provide a vibrant, and dynamic presentation that will approach a live recreation.

I too listen 90% of the time to levels that allow conversation, or slightly above.... BUT there are those time... and the only thing that controls the volume is my fear of damaging the JR's... as I have sufficient power with the vk500, to get them up there. Another thread here about tube power v. solid state power, addresses that question in general. For I posed the same Q, with some great insights... I've talked with folks that are running N802's with 60 wpc tube amps... heard the JR's on 30 wpc... so it will work... Albert V. designed the JR's with the notion to get the very best sound out of them with bi-amping in mind... but not the rule, and solely optional. Personally, I am thinking to add a vk60, or vk75 up there, and they ain't but 5 to 15 wpc larger in current development than the VK55. Remember the top end of the JR’s is an 8 ohm load... the bottom is 4. that's where Albert gets the 6 ohm overall. He also intended them to be at least bi-wired.

I'd think there are plenty of tube amps driving the JR's...and am curious why more haven't contributed in this particular thread to that extent, indicating their current or past matchups with various amps & the JR’S…. some of the reviews on the JR’s did exactly that…. Good luck!
pardales
652 posts
 
Thanks, Blindjim. I suspect the 55 would drive them as well. I really do listen at low volumes 90% of the time and even when I turn it up its not that loud. I do have my JR's biwired right now but the amp ends of my wire are joined together as I only have one set of taps on my amp.

glenfihi
525 posts
 
For the part of the thread that concens tube amps, I am driving my VR4JR's with the SQ-88 integrated tube amp, with KT-88 tubes at 55 wpc. This makes for a very musical combination,it sounds great at moderately high levels and low levels as well. Very interested in all the comments on room treatments, as my system will be moving to my converted basement in a 13X14 or so size room. Haapy listening and happy New Year to all.
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