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Tube amp advice

I am thinking of trying out tube amps. My current amps are Kharmas (MP150). My speakers are Wilson Benesch and they are not an easy load (sensitivity is 86 db, impedence 6 ohms).

So, it would seem I will need a pretty perky tube amp. Some research has shown me that the EAR 890 and the Rogue M-150's are good values in my general price range, are well regarded, and are powerful enough to drive my speakers effectively.

Any thoughts on how these two amps compare? Any thoughts on other amps that might work well?

Thanks in advance.

--dan
dgaylin
wilsynet's avatar
wilsynet
264 posts
 
There is a Music Reference RM-200 on Audiogon right now which is known to drive difficult loads well. It's no CAT, and it's not 200 lbs, but 90 seems like a good start. I haven't heard the RM-200 myslf, but I do own its smaller cousin, the RM-10.
dgaylin OP
255 posts
 
This is very helpful. Thanks everyone. Part of the reason I like the Kharmas is their small size. Not sure I'm ready to go back to something massive. I really do appreciate the suggestions and will check them out.
sgunther
187 posts
 
I use the Rogue M-180 mono blocks to drive Martin Logan Summits that have a minimum impedence of 1 ohm at 20khz and they sound very good to me. I think they also pass the weight test at 55 pound per amp. Made in USA to boot.
pdreher's avatar
pdreher
1,227 posts
 
My experience is that once I tried a tube amp, I have been unable to return to (enjoy) solid state amps.
raquel
841 posts
 
A final comment - one reason older tube amps are so desirable is that the output transformers in tube amps take forever - years - to fully break in. This is one large advantage five to ten year old amps have over new ones.

Although beside the point, another thing to remember is that the tubes are the circuit in a tube amp - if you retube the amp, you essentially have a new amp, this providing a gigantic advantage over solid-state amps for longevity (some high-profile solid-state amps become door stops if they ever lose an output transistor because the transistors have gone out of production - this won't happen to a tube amp that uses output tubes common in the tens of thousands of tubed guitar amps that are sold each year, e.g., EL-34's, 6L6, 6V6, 6550, etc., or that use a classic triode like the 300B).

A really good tube amp is like a Porsche 911 - a bit tricky to operate and conceptually not the most up-to-date, but capable of extreme performance and it will be around when most everything else is long gone.
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