Amplifier Pairing with Coherent 15s
Hello all,
About to finalize an order for a pair of Coherent 15s (yay!) and now I'm starting to look at possibilities for amplification for them. Since they are very efficient (I believe 106db efficiency), they can work well with flea amps+, so there's a wide range of possibilities.
I have a few criteria though: I would prefer an integrated amplifier vs separates/mono blocks, both for cost and space reasons, so something like AirTight is out (plus, a bit too expensive anyway). Looking around the $10k range at the higher end.
I don't listen to things super loud, and tend to prefer tube amplification. Music tends to lean majority Jazz, with some other things throw in here and there, but Jazz is the most important genre to get right.
Frank (from Coherent) recommended a couple -
Tektron Two 2A3/50S-i
Mastersound Compact 300B
Some others I've looked into:
Tektron Two 211-i
LTA ZOTL Ultralinear Integrated
I do have a few concerns with hand-crafted, more 'custom' made amps, especially by manufacturers overseas (I'm in the US) - mainly inability to demo them and ease of service/warranty. They also tend to be more difficult to sell in the case of deciding to go a different route, though this is of a lesser concern.
Anyone have any experience with any of these, have any other suggestions to explore, or any other comments?
Hi @bjesien , I put a number of videos from the Montreal audio show on YouTube. Just search: "Montréal Audiofest Coherent Audio", "THE EIGHTEEN Coherent Audio - Allnic Audio - Kuzma - Montreal Audio 2023" It can give you some idea about how it sounds. |
As a follow up to this since its been a few months... I actually decided on going with the Coherent 18 speakers instead of the 15s, and I put a deposit down on a pre-amp and amplifier combo the other day and decided to go with Aric Audio. Preamp - Super 6SN7 Linestage This set pretty much tops out my budget, but after speaking with another Coherent 18 owner who loves them, talking with Aric, and looking into reviews, they seem like a great choice. Other than that, a major selling point for me is that they are made in the US. I'm not really a 'made in US' only buyer (clearly, given the Coherents are Canadian), but for tube amplifiers, I prefer for peace of mind when it comes to potential future repairs. I've read many horror stories about amplifiers made overseas and trying to get service done being not only a huge hassle, but expensive with shipping and long down time. Going the separates route will also give me greater flexibility with amp experimentation in the future, should I want to try out different SET amplifiers, since it's often easier to come across stereo/mono amps versus integrated with SET. |
Coherent 18 + Aric Audio Super 6SN7 Linestage + Super 2A3 SET = pretty sure this is going to expedite your journey to Nirvana. I was waiting for some Coherent’s to pop up on the used market, but it seems like owners rarely let go of them which seems like a testament to how they sound. I’ve been eyeing that Super 6SN7, too. Regardless, stellar selections, sir. |
@toro3 I certainly hope so! Definitely will be a big step up from what I am using now, but it was just temporary anyway. :) I also was checking on Coherents on the used market - but only saw stuff pop up very rarely - mainly 12s from what I saw - and mostly due to people stepping up the line. A great sign! I've been dealing with Frank directly and he's been a joy to work with. |
