Check out Aric Audio. Made here in Mass , I am pretty sure he has something in his product line that would appeal to you
Considering A 20-40 Watt Stereo SET Amp
I just got over a 16 day illness (not Covid) where it was touch and go for a few days. I am thinking of rewarding myself with a 20-40 watt stereo SET amp. The speakers I will use are a pair of the new JBL L100 Classic speakers that I bought at the end of 2020. The speakers are rated at 4 ohms @90db sensitivity.
Presently, I am using a McIntosh integrated and I do not listen loud. The meters on the Mac usually sit between .20 and 2 watts at its loudest. I have not started looking yet but I do know I want something with 1 pair of outputs so I can use my SVS powered subwoofer with it. I would also need 3 high level inputs. I don’t want to break the bank as this would be a secondary amp to put into rotation as the mood strikes me.
I do not want a flea powered amp so it has to be 20-40 watts and under 4 grand new. Used would be even better. I am hoping I can be steered in the right direction so I can start my research. I do not want to have to buy other components to accommodate the amp. Source components are a McIntosh SACD player, McIntosh FM tuner and a Sony HAP-Z1ES music player. Nordost interconnects and Canare speaker cables, Shunyata power cords and a Furutech power conditioner round out the system. The amp must be stereo, no monoblocks please. 99% of my listening will be through my Mac FM tuner. The system is also on its own dedicated 20-amp circuit.
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- 47 posts total
True SETs (single-ended triode) amps cannot do 20-40 watts unless they’re big transmitter tubes such as the 211 or 845 and they use over 1,100 volts. An SEP (single ended pentode), running in ultra-linear or triode mode can get 20 watts per channel however. A good example is at the link below and can be driven directly from a DAC, CDP, etc. Volume control can be added as can additional inputs for right around your budget: https://aricaudio.com/products.php?product=SPRKT88120 Prices are not higher for what you get, considering prices for an Audio Note 211 amplifier start at $20k, Air Tight's 211 is $10K, Thomas Mayer's is $27K, and my Super 211 SET is $11,800- so comparable in price. Since a 300B is incapable of 20-40 watts, and 2A3 has even less power, 45 half that, this basically leaves pentode/tetrode single-ended amplifiers for the kind of power you’re looking for unless you go push-pull.
Best regards, Aric |
- 47 posts total