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Tube Power Amp Suggestions

I have been looking for a tube power amp. Ideally I want to have about 40 to 70 watts output power, with sound qualities as close to a delicate SET amp as possible, with lots of details, fast, good tone (a tiny bit on the warm side) and imaging, yet with good bass and dynamic. Budget is about 10,000. Second-hand is fine. I know I am asking really too much and will probably get negative response because of this. I just want to get the best within my budget.    
      
My initial considerations are EAR 890 or EAR 861. What do you think?      
    
I heard people saying that push-pull amp can be better than SET if it is implemented well, but push-pull is more difficult to make than a SET amp.    
      
My speakers are measured 91db sensitivity, but it needs power to perform well. I have tried both a SET 300B XLS output at 13W and a push-pull EL34 at about 35W. My impression is as follow:            
      
- SET 300B XLS output at 13W: more delicate and smooth, better resolution and density, lack bass and dynamic       
- Push-pull EL34 at 35W: much more bass and dynamic, sounds a bit coarse, less 3-dimensional and delicate     
    
Thank you in advance for your input. 
   

bigdish
soundsrealaudio's avatar
soundsrealaudio
756 posts
 
There are certainly some very good options out there in that price range. I kind of avoid the ones that are mass marketed, the big names. So here are a few smaller companies. 

The deHavilland 50A. This is a forty watt mono block amplifier that uses KT 88's and runs in, and this is huge, they deliver those 40 watts in triode mode. Made in Washington state. Point to point wiring. 
http://www.dehavillandhifi.com

You might be interested in these beauties as well. The Melody PM 845. They use the wonderful sounding 845 tube, run in class A and put out 70 watts per channel. They come in from Taiwan.
http://angelcityaudio.com/products/melody-valve-hifi/

The Zesto Audio Bio Stereo amplifier. 40 really powerful watts, from the KT88's. Made in California. Class A. Good company.

http://www.zestoaudio.com/bia-120-poweramp/



knghifi
1,668 posts
 
There are certainly some very good options out there in that price range. I kind of avoid the ones that are mass marketed, the big names.
Why?  If similar SQ, I'll go big names.  Easier to get service than boutique in MOST circumstances.
charles1dad's avatar
charles1dad
10,250 posts
 
Soundsrealaudio, 
Those are 3 really good examples.  Many good choices are in existence. 
The sector of low to moderate power tube amplifiers flourishes  with quality. 
niodari's avatar
niodari
305 posts
 
You don't really need that much tube power to drive 91db speakers.
50 watts in tube give almost double compared to the solid state.  I bought a 50 watts (in push-pull) Manley Stingray about 16 years or so
(the cost then was far below 10k). It drives excellent 86db Thiel 3.6 (with the recommended minimal amp power of 100 watts). I like this combination, the amp is quite good. Though  I can hear more distortion on it (compared to a solid state McIntosh, for instance), the sound is really  sweet  encouraging. It is quite compact and nicely looking. Only one year ago it needed some maintenance.  
atmasphere's avatar
atmasphere
11,896 posts
 
@bigdish if you really plan to keep with those speakers, the problem you are up against is that the speakers are designed for an amp than can act like a voltage source. Most of the amps suggest so far (including ours) are Power sources.

The difference will be on this speaker that a power source will play the woofer section 3 db down from where the designer intended.

There is a reason people are suggesting amps that behave as Power Sources though- in tube amps in particular, they tend to sound more natural.

More here:
http://www.atma-sphere.com/Resources/Paradigms_in_Amplifier_Design.php
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