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Member's recommendations for tube amplification

Your thoughts on options to consider:

- I'd prefer SET (open to DHT but not a requirement).

- I'm not looking for overtly warm, romantic or lush options.

- Minimum power in the teens to twenties, 10W being the floor.

- Open to higher power push-pull amps, but let's limit ceiling to around 60W.

- Single ended is fine though having XLR inputs would be nice (doesn't have to be true balanced)

- I'm cool with single chassis or monos.

- I have preferences for tube types, but leaving it open ended to get broad recommendations.

- I'm currently running an all solid state system, though have had tube based systems built around ARC, BAT, Ayon, Melody, Pathos, etc.

- Preamp will be a Pass XP-20 or the Metrum Adagio DAC direct to the amp.

- I'd like to stay around 3K used but can push the budget to 6K new/used.

- Speaker sensitivity is 94dB and higher.

THANKS!
david_ten
david_ten OP
5,480 posts
 
@rmasoni   Thanks for the heads-up on the 300B or 6B4G specific David Berning amps.

His products are way beyond my reach, but the amp you are using and it's cost are in the doable realm. I wouldn't have considered Berning's amps due to the cost, so your pointing this one out is super helpful.
rspyder
98 posts
 
If you are willing to consider an integrated at the high end of your budget you defintiely should consider an Octave.  A few are finally showing up on this and other audio reseller sites.  You can always add the Black Box or Super Black Box later.

Ray
rmasoni
15 posts
 
David,  glad that was helpful.  This is the same amp Berning uses (in the 6B4G configuration) in this personal system . . . and he is driving 87db speakers. The reason these are "affordable" is because he builds them in his own shop, cosmetics be damned (although there is relatively inexpensive solution to the cosmetics)!!   I have had for years the flagship integrated of Pathos Acoustics - the Inpol2, which is a hybrid design with tube input and MOSFET outputs, fully balanced, 45W Class A.  A new one will cost you $13k. I've got mine listed for $4K.  Its a wonderful amp, but the Berning is significantly better.

Best of luck in your search!

Rick
david_ten OP
5,480 posts
 
@rmasoni Rick, interestingly I clicked on one of the Agon ads...for the Voxativ Zeth speaker and one of the ’blurbs’ from a show mention the 6B4G driving these speakers.

@rspyder Ray, I came close to buying an Octave integrated amplifier a number of years ago...ended up going with an Ayon. Another German player, Lyric is newer to the U.S. Any thoughts?

I’ve been focused on an amp and did not specify an integrated as an option in my opening post. I already have nearly 40 recommendations!

Do you and others feel / believe I should be open to a tube integrated amplifier?

Pros/ Cons? Thanks.
jmac7's avatar
jmac7
58 posts
 
You might look at the Line Magnetic 508IA, SET, Pure Class A, 48 watts per channel. Here is a link to a site that says a little about it. 
http://widescreenaudio.be/product/line-magnetic-lm-216ia-3-2-2-3/. 
There is a dealer called GoldPrint Audio that you can contact if you wish. I think that they still sell them.
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