2. amps-preamps
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I'm going to buy my first tube amp. I need honest blunt opinions

 

 

Recommendations please. I am thinking of dipping my toes in the tube amp water.  For the longest time I have been tempted to buy a modest tube amp to run my Monitor Gold 300’s at 90db.

I’ve been toying around, researching the different characteristics of SET, class A, class AB, B Ultralinear tube amps for months. It’s a bit much. As far as the reviewers go, they are too vague. They are afraid to be upfront honest.

Sources are a Parasound JC 3+, a Innous ZENith Mk3, and a Oppo going to a Benchmark DAC, then all go to a Benchmark LA 4 preamp that will feed the new amp.

My room is 16 x16. The speakers have a 12-foot spread. I sit 14 feet back, so it’s not that big of a room.

I have narrowed it down to four candidates.

A used Canary Audio M90 300B Tube Amp at 24RMS,300B push-pull stereo triode Class A $4,000

A used Jadis Orchestra Black, 40 RMS, Class B $4,000

A 16-year-old, Used Cary Audio Six Pac Monoblock’s, 50 triode watts A/AB $2,000

A new Dynaco by WILL VINCENT 35RMS Ultralinear $2,300

 

marshinski15
pdreher's avatar
pdreher
1,193 posts
 

I briefly owned Quicksilver Mid Mono's, but felt I needed more power, so I was able to trade up to the KT Mono's with KT 150's (100 wpc).   I agree with @soix that the amps you are considering are likely not a good match for your speakers.  I'd be shooting for something in the 75 to 125 wpc range.   McIntosh MC275, offerings from Rogue, Quicksilver would be a good place to look. US Audiomart has a good selection.

dekay's avatar
dekay
5,385 posts
 

I would avoid any amp limited to various "contemporary" powers tubes which may not be available in the near future.

This would include all the KT tubes starting @ KT90 and going upwards.

Same goes for anything using 6H30 small signal tubes.

 

DeKay

 

decooney
1,906 posts
 

If you want "blunt, I’d pass on all of the tube amps on your list, and ditch the Benchmark DAC, I had one and could not stand it. One of the most un-engaging dacs I’ve owned.

As for your speakers, and this graph, (and I’m a 100wpc mono tube amp owner myself) I’d be looking for a nice velvety 200wpc mosfet solid state amplifier. I think you’ll be much happier and your speakers deserve the right matching amp imo. 3.5-4.0 ohms is just getting too far down there for most tube amps. The amps I’m using right now would do it, and so would KT Monos yet I’d throttle expectations after seeing this graph and considering what tube amps you might need.

Worth checking the used market for nice SS mosfet amps (too) if interested.

panzrwagn's avatar
panzrwagn
456 posts
 

I own MA Silver 300s, and have toyed with tube amps (MC 240, ARC Dual 52b) driven with my Stage 3 rebuilt APT preamp. I found that both those amps worked well,with the nod going to the Dual 52b. Of the amps you listed, I would favor the Jadis. I have heard driving Wilson Sophia 2s, and was very impressed. 300b amps, yeah, retube costs plus lower power, not. The Cary's are interesting but Im not sure how happy they would be with a lower impedance speaker. Just something to check if you get serious about them. Keep us informed as you move forward!

curiousjim's avatar
curiousjim
4,228 posts
 

What kinds of music do you listen to?  Hoe loud do you normally listen?  How far are you from your speakers?  With 90 dbs speakers will play with any amount of watts, but they won’t sing until you have at least 50-75.  My speakers are 90 dbs sensitivity also and 40 watt tube mono blocks drove them, but the didn’t sing until I put a powered subwoofer in and the amps didn’t have to drive the lower notes.

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