Building the Audio Note Kit 1 SET amp...

I always understood the latest discussion was about dynamics and not loudness. Being a bass player in Rock Bands as well as performing as a studio musician for a limited time I know dynamics and slam. I think that the Tim Smith articles on dynamics with the Tektons mirror my own experiences with the Tektons and low power tube amps including SET; they do dynamics startling well. If you want concert-level volume and dynamics in a normal house, or room have at it, pay the price of admission and be done with it.

What we are discussing here is a family man with about 11x10 listening room, and like most people with a family, limited resources to allocate to the high-end of audio. I believe Rebbi has done a stellar job separating the chaff from the wheat demonstrating remarkable ability to put together an Everyman high-end system. We truly need more of that example.

Suggestion for speakers ought to be of high quality all around, that best fit
in with creating a properly balanced, synergistic system that also fits a budget.

My audio bias falls in the camp of tone, tone, more tone, timbre, natural musical flow, richness, liquid sounds that get a piano right, as well as all the other instruments, just like real accoustic life, a good stage, coherence, natural decay, PRAT, male and female voice front and center with height and dimentionality, as well as all the other goodies. If I miss a smidgen of slam, ok, it costs too much, but the Tektons amongst others come close, very close. So given the goody bag cost which do you prefer to lose?

Mikirob, great post and it could be these Tektons would be perfect. They are certainly affordable. Perhaps they are worth a trial.

It's not about music being loud. Distortion always seems louder due to noise. The issue is the contraction and constriction of dynamics that come way before clipping. My 97db efficient, 12 ohm Coincident speakers played loud enough for me, but not well enough over a period of time. Gorgous music to be sure, but in the end the music was limited to jazz and vocals.

It took time for me to notice this and more importantly, other more powerful amps made that easily apparent. You can get loud in your little room, but not the kind of expansive, at ease, fully dynamic sound that is possible with a better suited amp. Sure, you get beauty and tone with the right kinds of music, but not the full experience with many kinds of music.

The right speaker for the amp will also work, but it also has to be the right speaker for Rebbi. It will be interesting to see where he lands. More than one way to accomplish a bit more flexibility in his system. All good points thus far.

I was reading about the Tektons lore. Seems like a great value speaker worth a try. Little to lose trying. I think it has a good chance of fitting the bill for Rebbi. Of course fitting the bill and loving the sound are not the same. No way to know without trying. On paper I see no reason not to. The design using good quality tweeter. Large 10". Pro audio bass driver larger box and simple crossover checks all the boxes for me. As does the asking price. Interestingly the designer expresses his preference for high power amps still but seemingly should not be required if one is a tube amp lover.

Mapman, I rarely listen to music above 78-84 db on my 90db efficient 8 ohm speakers. I am driving them with two sets of Monoblock amps. I swap them out from time to time. The first set is a homemade tube PP set that sound marvelous. But, my main set are 300 watt SS amps and one could say that is complete overkill in my modest sized room at my low listening levels.

I have found that the sense of ease and flow is tremendous with the amplifiers barely breaking a sweat. Paired with my tricked out TRL Dude tubed preamp and Romulus tubed CD player I am getting that SET like sound. I have the latest version of the Trl Samson amps with some nice new improvements.

The amps are very open and deliver see through transparency and in the end just reveal the strengths of my pre and CD player. My speakers are uber musical and the total system just delivers that SET like sound that is intoxicating without SET limitations.

I will acknowledge it has taken some effort and learnings to get to this point.

Many things have helped such as.....

- using great solid core silver wire throughout the system
- speaker placement, speaker placement, speaker placement
- room treatment.......very important
- tricking out my preamp removing all electrolytic caps in the power supply, battery powered filament heaters and a few other things
- the right speaker with a simple crossover network

All these things do indeed deliver a SET like sound that is immediate, intimate and all together lovely, lively and engaging.

I am probably using 1/10 of the power available in my amps! Ha! But it works very well indeed.