2. amps-preamps
  3. 144773-2137

HELP ... Need Advice/Recommendations on Tube Amp

Hi, all. So, the upgrade bug is calling, and most you likely know how annoying that can be. For years I have been using a tube preamp (BAT VK-3i) and a SS power amp (Musical Fidelity A300cr @ 225 wpc). Since I  bought new speakers a little less than a year ago (JA Pulsars), I was wondering whether a tube power amp  might produce even better sound than I'm getting currently. 

I've been looking at the Carver Crimson 275 (75 wpc) and the Rogue Stereo 100 (100 wpc). The Carver looks really interesting ... the Rogue does as well, but it requires manual biasing. I know the jury is still out on manual versus auto biasing, so I'm not sure which way to go on that issue. Anyway, I have never owned a tube power amp before and can't audition most products due to my current location. Any thoughts on the above or recommendations for other tube amps would be much appreciated. Thanks.
rlb61
tuberist
951 posts
 
I use a PrimaLuna Dialogue integrated. PL also makes a stand alone amp. I couldn't be more satisfied and am "thrilled" at the tone, body and dimensionality I'm experiencing. In my many decades as caring about good audio I'd owned several tubed amps and went SS when I got tired on manual biasing, monitoring tube life, system hum etc. What I have now has made owning a tube rig a no brainer. There is virtually none of the issues I had experienced in the past. BTW, I owned a VK-5i pre-amp at one time running into a SS VK 500 amp. Good luck in your search. I'm never going back to solid state again.
batman1971
96 posts
 
I would highly suggest looking at the BAT VK55 used its in the same price range and its a really nice amp.  It will match up nice with your preamp.  Im interested in the new carver as well, heard it at the local store,  going to bring it home and try it one of these days. I think they are hitting a nice price point with the new carver amp.
rlb61 OP
789 posts
 
@batman1971 ... how did you like the Carver?
wolf_garcia
6,708 posts
 
Jolida power amps are easy to bias and simply giant killers at their price point. Before joining the "Single Ended Amp Slave to Efficient Speakers" cult I used a Jolida 502p for years and it sounded great, and was far less expensive than any other similarly equipped amp out there. I think they've improved them recently (model 3502p?) with "actual" balanced inputs and a switch to allow many differing tube types beyond the 6550s, KT88s, KT120s and 150s I used in the thing.
big_greg
6,647 posts
 
Be aware, the Rogue Stereo 100 is really a 50w or 55w amp in Triode mode which is how you are likely to prefer listening to it.  The 100wpc is in Ultralinear mode where you will get tighter bass but lose a lot of the detail and nuance that make tube amps so special.  It is still a wonderful sounding amp but want to make you aware of what you are getting.  

I have Rogue M-180 monoblocks and much prefer the sound in Ultralinear mode. 

Here's a quote from the Stereophile review of the M-180s.  I agree with their assessment of the differences.

"Early on in my listening, I did a great deal of comparing the Rogues' triode and ultralinear modes. Given my love of single-ended solid-state amps, I was sure I'd prefer triode mode. Wrong. Though triode sounded a bit more relaxed, its lack of power was very obvious in my system. Triode mode also seemed to cast over the music what I heard as a slight veil or scrim, whereas ultralinear mode played to the M-180s' strengths of immediacy and in-the-room image palpability. After those early experiments, I pretty much left the Rogues in ultralinear mode."

Perhaps with some gear triode mode would sound better?

I haven't heard the Stereo 100, so don't know if the voicing is the same, but would assume that results will be similar.
More to discover