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Ok....Audiogoners: need some tube amp ideas

Any suggestion/comment is appreciated. Just off the top of my head, below is a list of initial parameters.

- budget: $4k ish (somewhat flexible)
- tubes/valves amp(s)
- preowned or new
- mono or stereo configuration
- min wattage: 70 and higher (this rating would afford me more speaker options down the road e.g. 4/8 ohm and >88db efficiency)
- brand(s): leaning toward more esoteric manufacturers or models (e.g. Dodd 120, VAC PHI, Audio Valves); would prefer staying away from manufactueres that do magazine advertisement.

Current thought: I might push the budget a bit to consider a pair of preowned Lamm ML1.

Thanks much. (currently listening to Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No.2 by NY Philharmonic/Berstein)

Ken
kyyuan
linkoping
112 posts
 
How about some other brand such as Art Audio, Mastersound, EAR...?
I used to own VAC (all the top models) and never like their sound.
jhorowitz128
37 posts
 
No contest....Rogue M-150 Monoblocks. I don't read the magazines, so I don't know if they advertise.
Anyway, 150 watts ultralinear/100 watts triode.
New price is $4000. Hard to find used but go for $2600-2900. One of the best value in amps.
Ag insider logo xs@2x
educ
15 posts
 
Hi Ken

Unlike Linkoping, I love my VAC amps. I believe that they offer tremendous value when joined with Martin Logan speakers. Have not ever tried box type speakers although I will put some Avalon Eclipses in my system as an experiment sometime soon. Good luck.

Steve
kyyuan OP
28 posts
 
Thanks for everyone's input so far. This is a good starting list. Let me insert a bit more background.

- Art Audio is supposedly sending me a pair of its Concerto MKII push-pull monos (over my budget, but I'll stretch if I like them that much)

- My current speakers are 88 db, 8 ohm, and highly damped; however, they do not provide enough bass. Thus far, some of the real-world priced speakers I've seen are typically around 88 to 90 db efficiency. Hence, I thought more power might be better. Nonetheless, I'll keep an open mind on the eventual speaker selection.

- I'm looking into a pair of Continuum 2.5 speakers from SP Technology. The waveguide is an intriguing proposition, and SP is sending me a pair of its smaller offerings for demo.

- Linkoping: Nice setup you have there. I actually did think about the Mastersound amps, but am unsure if they're sufficiently powerful for orchestral music.

- Sbank: I'm still investigating on the Berning amps; OTLs are an interesting animal to me. Sans Berning amps, other OTLs may be a bit fussy to maintain. Air Tight is certainly a viable option.

Again, thanks for all the inputs. Please keep them coming. I've been doing a lot of reading/researching here, AA, and Audiocircle for "esoteric" amps. The next step for me is to put together a short list for demo.

Ken
r_f_sayles's avatar
r_f_sayles
872 posts
 
Check out a real OTL design... Atma-Sphere. You may be surprised with the dynamics and lower end resolution comparatively. I love the sound from mine. The one caveat is you will need to be focused on a higher efficiency speaker (90db or + would be great) with a straight 8 ohms (or higher), but why not regardless. I'm running Atma's MA-1 Silvers with a 140 watts into a 94db Coincident Total Eclipse speakers @ 14ohms and IMHO they do it all from top to bottom. A higher efficiency speaker will open you up to a much wider range of possible tube amps in the future. Think ahead. Happy Listening!
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