2. amps-preamps
  3. 159531-110095

Tubes?

I have Revel Salon 2 speakers. Sensitivity is about 85 db. and 4 ohms. They are power hungry speakers. Currently, I am driving them with McIntosh 601's and a McIntosh solid state preamp. I was look looking at a pair of McIntosh MC2301. They are tube amps rated at 300 watts into 2 - 8 ohm loads. I listen to all types of music (sometimes at very high levels). I never run out of power with the 601's, but I am very intrigued with tubes. This may be a misconception, but I remember some friends who played guitar saying, tube watts were louder than solid state? Perhaps this is not really true or not true regarding home stereo. Perhaps the best idea is to keep the 601's and get a good tube preamp?                          Thanks, Dave 
tobor007
jjss49's avatar
jjss49
6,612 posts
 
hopefully the op can sort through another typical a-gon thread, lots of pretty good advice, some heavy handedness in how it is delivered, some getting caught up with semantics and missing the point

i suggest op take away the following:

1 - you have definitely chosen pretty inefficient, relatively hard to drive speakers - if you like them and will run with them, you will need to match your amplifier carefully, most likely a beefy solid state unit to deliver alot of power/current to do the job well esp. if you like to play pretty loud

2 - most tube amps will struggle with driving your speakers, in absolute volume and in bass control -- tube amps just can’t match ss equivalents in bass control and slam, you need to go to megabuck tube amps to get very good bass with your speakers

3 - tube pre feeding ss power amp likely the best solution if you want some tube dimensionality and sweetness to the sound, that is IF you value that

4 - tube watts vs ss watts and the semantics associated with that line of discussion is pretty much irrelevant
ditusa's avatar
ditusa
2,065 posts
 
@ tobor007, Keep the revel's, buy the mc-2301 amps.  You will love the sound..
daj
87 posts
 
@jjss49
That’s a pretty good synopsis of the advice received. Can’t help noticing the heavy emphasis the OP places on high SPL with no mention of SQ though. Why consider tubes in the first place? Presumably which watts are louder and hitting high SPLs is not the only concern, so info on what is desired is incomplete.

The heavy handed advice does hit on the conflict in terms of the concern expressed in the post and the speaker OP owns, though it's easy to see how this might be overlooked due to the rather obnoxious style in which said advice is habitually delivered.
antigrunge2
1,472 posts
 
Real tube magic happens in SETs, no comparison. Have a look at the Wavac 833
clearthinker's avatar
clearthinker
1,582 posts
 
No way antigrunge.
SETs will be crippled trying to run these Revels.
I smell smoke.
Don't go there.

I recall Audio Research has built tube amps with 600w.  I see them used at £7,000-£8,000.  Lots of valves though.

Dull to see millercarbon still peddling the same old stuff.
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