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What's the greatest bargain in SET these days?

Hi, Gang,
I response to my recent review of the Reference 3A De Capo BE speaker, someone wrote that if you really want to hear them sing, you should try them with a SET amp, or words to that effect.
That got me thinking. The De Capo's are 92 db efficient, which (correct me if I'm wrong) seems kind of borderline for low-power SET amps.
In any event, right now I'm running mine with a pair of Manley Mahi mono-blocks. They are switchable from triode (20 watts) to "ultra linear" (40 watts). I run them in triode all the time, and in my room, the volume knob almost never goes past 9 o'clock; more would just be too loud.
All that said, what do you guys think of running the De Capo's with a SET amp? And if I did, what's the best bargain in SET's these days?
Thanks!
rebbi
tubegroover
2,320 posts
 
"I truly regret selling my Golden Tube 300B."

Funny you mention THAT amp Mikirob. After all the discussion on this thread I started looking around for a 300B DHT amp just to see how it might fare with the Decapos. There was a Golden tube 300b amp for sale recently on Agon. When I decided to buy it, it was gone, one day, snooze and lose! I had the same thing in mind, upgrading some of the parts to see what could be gotten. For 1K no risk and probably a lot of fun as well.
seikosha
219 posts
 
A lot of DIY'er's have performed the Hazen Grid mod on their non Decware amps and this usually skeptical crowd seems to appreciate it as a viable mod as many seem to claim that it does in fact make an improvement. If you do some Google searches on the subject, you'll see lots of discussions.

Now that said, even if it does improve the EL34 triode sound, I would still go after a well built 300B if it was in my budget.
mapman's avatar
mapman
23,001 posts
 
Rebbi, not to late to just go back to some good SS amplification before taking a deeper dive into tube amp land. :^)

I bet TAD hibachis would sound really good with those Decapos for well under $1000 and no tubes worth mentioning. They even each have a volume control so all that you would need is your current gear and something like that inexpensive Decware switch box, or may be a decent passive pre-amp at worst.

Just saying....
saki70
907 posts
 
Thanks guys the best answers that I have received to date ,
much appreciated !
If you want to get a chuckle , check out this thread that I started asking the same question .

http://www.audioasylum.com/cgi/vt.mpl?f=set&m=76456

Some of the comments will make you go HMMMM !

Happy Tunes
mikirob
955 posts
 
Hi Tubegroover,
Sorry you lost out. If I saw it (Golden Tube 300B) I'd try to buy. I believe stock it would be fantastic with th DeCapo. It has great iron. Now, if you were to spend about $1,000-1,500 to upgrade capacitors, resistors, etc., plus get the Black Treasure 300Bs, some good 6L7s, you'd really be on to something. You'd be breathing rarified air, within striking distance of Coincident, Wytec Opal, territory. You'd fall a little short, but maybe not by much.
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