Tube Amp for Devore O/96

Thanks so much! This is all very helpful information. I feel like I'm getting a crash course in tube amps although some material remains well beyond my purview at this point. I have some research to do I suppose as I don't know Class A from Class AB or what a pentode is. I feel like I'm slightly confused in the back of my Physics class again but I'll figure it out.

One question I have is, I've seen the term "linear" used in this thread and on various stereo review websites, but I'm not sure I know what it means exactly. Does that mean that the sound is more focused and direct and not as wide and broad? That's what I think I can gather from context but could be way off. 

@charles1dad 

Thank you for the very thorough response! I'm really drawn to your Jadis description of "consistently beautiful musical production." I've read that elsewhere about their amps, too, and ultimately that is my end goal above all else - to simply enjoy beautiful music. 

I’ve had two friends achieve great results with their O/96 using Jadis JA30MKII. I’m fairly certain optimal results were achieved with the internal straps set for high impedance delivery. 

@flipturn

You are welcome. Don’t worry, as you continue to read and explore your knowledge base will steadily expand and deepen. Curiosity and motivation will take you far. Vacuum tubes are actually pretty basic devices but there are so many variations and applications with regard to function and utilization.

They have stood the test of time for very good reasons. When used properly in audio components they’re capable of exquisite and authentic music reproduction.

I am not an electrical engineer and @atmasphere (Ralph) can provide a much better explanation. Essentially linearity refers to the degree of disruption/deviation/distortion of an applied audio or electrical signal. The closer the output signal resembles the input signal (Less deviation) the more linear or pure a device is said to be.

This in part explains why DHT type tubes can be used without the need for applied negative feedback (NFB) compared to indirectly heated tetrode/pentodes generally speaking. No doubt other factors are in play.
 

You will often see DHT SET amplifiers with zero NFB. There are pros and cons to everything. It all depends on what is sonically being sought.

Charles

With the bass characteristics of the O96, I’d do push pull 2a3 or something similar vs SET.

I own a pair of the 0/96s and have tried a number of tube amps with them. My favorite pairing is a custom built pair of 300b mono amps, outputting 8wpc, and built by Bottlehead tech/designer. It uses Magnaquest nickel transformers and some hefty and expensive Mundorf silver gold foil oil caps. It edged out my Leben CS600x (which also sounds wonderful), and also a Shindo amp and a Woo WA5 300b integrated. Tried 5 other amps ranging from 2A3, 811, 845, and other higher power 300b variants, but these custom amps were the best (and happily like 1/2 the cost). I partnered with a 300b preamp that also uses nice transformers and vcaps. My room is 19’x18’ with 8ft ceiling.

I personally think 300bs are the best pairing for this speaker. I don’t want for more power, bass is wonderful and controlled and defined, and everything else sounds better than push pull amps I tried.

The EL34 amps add a tad more dynamics and the height of the listening window seems taller. But the 300bs add so much texture, detail, tone, and palpability. Honestly it’s super fun to switch around so I kept the Leben as a second unit, and pair it with Chartwell LS3/5a speakers.

I’ve owned Airtight amps, but not the 300b which I did listen to and quite loved - I had the ATM3 mono amps using EL34 tubes. Of all the amps mentioned, I would start with the ATM300. Airtight is a bit picky about preamps, and I never quite loved their own offerings. I would highly recommend looking into the custom builds like I commissioned, with the only caveat that the resale will be harder. That said, the cost savings over the more of name brands let me invest in some expensive cables and upgrade my digital, plus they sound better IMHO.