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My first Tube Amplifier

I have a 40 years of audio history starting with Garrard Turntable, Fisher Intergrated(SS), ADS bookself speaker on 1978.

But I started using tube amplifier on 1999.

Since then I had been using only tube amplifier in my main system.

My last SS main amplifier was Krell KSA 150 to drive Apogee Duetta Signature speakers.


http://www.jadis-electronics.com/photos/ja500/45/3/ja500.jpg

My first tube amplifier was Jadis 500 which comprised of 4 pieces weighing 120 lb each.

B&W 801 driven by Jadis 500 gave most deep and powerful bass at my home.

But it generated too much heat so it was hard to use during summer.

It was memorable experience to use it for 4 years.

I may not go back to such monster tube amplifier again.



How about you?

What is your first tube amplifier?



I bet two cents on no one had used larger one as the first tube amplifier than mine.


128x128shkong78
shkong78's avatar
shkong78 OP
1,485 posts
 
@mountz 

If you have 86 db/w speaker, it will not work well with SET amp.

You had better get another speaker for SET.

One guy bought Line Magnetice 805 SET amp(48watt) and then had been looking for optimal speaker now.
mountz's avatar
mountz
135 posts
 
I have been thinking of Von Schweitzer Speakers, what are you using for highly efficient speakers??
shkong78's avatar
shkong78 OP
1,485 posts
 
I have two speakers.

First one is Lansch 4.1 with 99db/w and second one is Vaughn  Cabernet speaker 93db/w.

Both have active woofers.

Lansche go down to 20Hz, Vaugn to 28hz.

I recommend Vaughn speaker to you for SET.

If you live close to Seattle, you are welcome to drop at my home for listen.
ramtubes's avatar
ramtubes
460 posts
 
@bdp24 

Thanks, it is true that the more expensive amplifiers were pushed harder. As Brooks once said to me. Why should I sell a $5000 amplifier when i can sell a $20,000 one. You only get to sell one!

I never wanted to make expensive amplifiers, just fair priced, good sounding ones that don't break. We have 35 year old amps and preamps with original caps still sounding great. You dont need to recap our amps yet! You dont need fancy fuses that don't protect as I have written about the TuningFuses
mg16's avatar
mg16
119 posts
 
Dynaco st-70. I thought I had a killer amp in my Adcom 555, back in the 90's. The Dynaco was bought just to see what the fuse was all about.  I loved reading Stereophile mag. At the time. I was hooked. From there I went to Quicksilver, Audio Research ,Cary, Mesa Baron,
SET 300B, 2A3, 45.
45 was the best. But I did not like having to use horns to get volume from it.
I have settled on El-34 based tube amps of 40-60 watts/channel, in order to use more "conventional" types of speakers. I am back to Quicksilver Audio.
They have a touch of SET magic, although they are push pull ultralinear. Mike Sanders is a genius.
If I had to go solid state, I can live with Pass Labs amps.
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