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Your tube amp related Harbeth experience.

Please share your experience (good or bad), with any model Harbeth when driven with tubes. I have C'7's, and have just moved on from Class A solid state. Again, if you ended up with solid state, your experience still qualifies, as long as your journey had tube amps in the picture. I should mention that while my plan is to go integrated, I would still like to hear any experience with tube amps, even if it was a stand alone tube amp. Please let's not go in the Alan Shaw (HUG) direction here. Anyone involved likely knows the deal there. That's not for this thread. Just personal experience with a dealer, a friends system, buying used, or the like...

fjn04
fjn04 OP
1,561 posts
 

Appreciate that jjss. I've been doing some You Tube homework on Dac's. I'm sure you are aware of the ladder (R2R) type Dac's and how they generally differ sonically versus standard chip DAC'S. I'm extremely out of touch with Dac's, so I won't push my luck and try to comment here. Hegel...? Guess I should be open minded...they are certainly easy to find used. No offense to anyone that has offered their generous thoughts so far, but I just have to ask....Is there anyone who feels I am setting myself up for a merry-go-round ride with tubes and the C'7's. Sorry to be repetitive, but please don't forget, $5K Max retail. 

avanti1960
1,539 posts
 

I have run the Harbeth C7ES3 and SHL5+ on tune amplifiers in my med-large room.  I tend to like the higher powered KT120 amps and used the Rogue Audio Cronus Magnum II and then the Rogue Audio Stereo 100.  

The sound in all cases was sublime.  Rogue tube amps sound much better than many people give them credit for.  Power, punchy bass, ultra refined, transparent and a humongous sound stage.  

big_greg
6,697 posts
 

I ran my Super HL5 Plus with Rogue Audio M180 amps and they sounded great.  I've also used them in a second system with an ARC Vsi55 integrated and that may have been an even better combination.  The best I've heard Harbeths sound was at my friend's house - he had a Line Magnetic LM-805iA integrated and the 40.2s and has a very well treated room.  Sublime.

charles1dad's avatar
charles1dad
10,250 posts
 

@big_greg

The best I’ve heard Harbeths sound was at my friend’s house - he had a Line Magnetic LM-805iA integrated and the 40.2s and has a very well treated room. Sublime.

Roughly 50 watts of pure class A. I could imagine those 805 output tubes having enough grunt to provide good bass control. Midrange should be stunningly good.

Charles

fjn04 OP
1,561 posts
 

It’s looking as if tubes are ok, with two important caveats in mind. 1) have 60 + watts on tap, such as a stereo ARC amp with a quad of KT 88 (Kt 150) tubes. 2) Perhaps I’m reading in to this too much, but I see a pattern of liking a more linear tube sound. I was thinking about one of the Cayin amps, which lean to the classic tube side. I heard they try to emulate the McIntosh sound in their designs, and I assume that would be the old McIntosh sound. The newer Mac has gone in the same direction as many of the big tube names that come to mind. I’m not knocking this, as much as simply making the point. Should also ad that I've heard LM and owned the 211 IA. I really enjoy their sound, but this being a second system, I want keep it simpler. Maybe I'm getting old, but I want an amp I can move myself. The Wonderfull sounding 805 and whatever model replaced the 518 IA are just not what I'm looking for right now. I want to have a system I can turn on, listen for short periods, and turn off. With my main system, I tend to pass on listening unless I have a fair amount of time to listen. So this system won't quite be on the LM SET level, which to my ears, is certainly reference level. 

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