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New Member And few questions on First Tube Amp.

Little about me.I am 67 and more into cars /cycles but enjoy music during winter months.
I have Tinnitus very bad and so I can not play music much over 70 db with high pitch horns ect.
But I have Marantz SR 8002 and had until last week Mirage M-5's. 28 yrs and did not realize how deteriorated
they become until someone sold a pair of Definitive Techogoly BP 8080ST and I could not beleive what I was missing
on sound.. All along thought it was my hearing..So now that I can hear music separation along with my ringing 
it is a joy to hear more than I thought I would ever hear again.
So with that I want to just see if a tube amp will allow me to hear music flow from the speakers as others describe.

So not knowing anything I have a dealer not to far selling Prima Luna tubes and my question is I see tube amp and pre tube amp.. To try a tube amp can you run from just one of these components ??
Does Prima Luna have a all in one unit if I need a amp and pre amp ???

I do not mind spending few thousand, but not sure how long my hearing will last  and so just want to 
purchase low end just to see if I can hear a difference of tube vs solid state...thank you Joe

128x128harleyujoe
harleyujoe's avatar
harleyujoe OP
46 posts
 
I saw a used Cayin 734b used for sale but was nervous about purchasing not knowing anything about this tube world..

I think it was rated 40watts ..I tried to find out how old it was and even google gave me no information.

But for 700 it may be the way I should go to test the tube sound.'
I guess the only thing is that it is not remote and with hearing issues think I should have remote??? Any thoughts on this matter ??Do most of you have remote or see no need having sound set ??? 
noromance's avatar
noromance
9,838 posts
 
Joe, yeah tinnitus sucks. What source are you using? I think remote is a good idea with hearing damage to limit loud passages before hurting but without curtailing the quieter parts.
lou_setriodes's avatar
lou_setriodes
687 posts
 
Most of my sources don't have a remote so that's not a big issue for me.  The Cayins are excellent.

Just saw this one in the DC area:
https://washingtondc.craigslist.org/mld/ele/d/silver-spring-cayin-88t-integrated-tube/6805903082.htm... and actually heard this one with EL34's or 6L6 tubes in it and it sounded great!  It also has a remote.

Didnt see any info on the 734b, only the 734a and its got huge iron on it, which is the heart of any tube amp, and most important part of a tube amp.  I'd take a Cayin any day over Prima Luna.

The 40 wpc will sound like double that
tablejockey
3,917 posts
 
harleyujoe-

As mentioned in my first post, polarizing opinion undoubtedly shows up. 

What's going to sound good to your ears is subjective, and absolute specs/graphs etc. won't guarantee satisfacton. 


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islandmandan
1,260 posts
 
Harleyujoe,

I am also a tinnitus sufferer ( heavy equipment operator, aircraft assembler, etc.) I'm 72, and I'm still enjoying music a great deal. My listening room is on the large side 34' X 16.5' w/cathedral ceilings). I use my SET 300B, which I won on auction here on A'gon for around $750. I then had caps and resistors upgraded at the factory (Sonic Frontiers/Parts Connexion). I use it to drive my 94db custom built Tannoy HPD 315 drivers (12" Dual Concentric) in massive 150 liter bass-reflex enclosures. 

They sound amazing in my room, and I'm still able to discern the difference in SQ between different sources & amps, digital/vinyl etc. Although many offer opinions that the SET 300B shouldn't be up to the task, but for me, it does the job.

I hope you find what works for you. I wish you many years of continued musical enjoyment, regards,
Dan
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