2. amps-preamps
  3. 1334466827

Could use your advice re: tube gear

I posted a long discussion of my MC240 and 8B which came out of storage a couple weeks ago. After listening to them with several speakers in our little local shop, and in comparison to an Anthem 700 MRX SS integrated ($2K) driving the speakers I'm thinking about, I'm missing the highs I thought I was getting. Quite a bit. And on big speakers the bass is loose and very undefined. Both tube amps (with my CJ PV-5) had vastly better midrange though.

What would be a move to keep the mids of my gear but get the defined bass and airy open highs?

Get a SS amp (like the DNA-1)? But would the CJ kill the tight lows and open highs? Could I mod the CJ?

Can I find a (~$1K used) tube amp that has the lush mids but tight lows and open detailed highs? The Quicksilver GLA maybe?

Trying to solve it with speakers, I could probably find a speaker with much tighter bottom (B&W CM-1 maybe) but that would not solve the highs. I have some Superzeros with spiky highs that help but don't replace the missing air and space.

Your thought would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.
river251
atmasphere's avatar
atmasphere
12,124 posts
 
If your amps were in storage, its likely they are not working up to snuff. The Marantz was a nice amp but unless its been rebuilt/serviced recently I would not expect it to sound right- in fact I would be nervous about plugging it into the wall!

A new set of filter capacitors for the power supply and you may think very differently about this amp!
bondmanp
1,835 posts
 
Yeah, what Atmashpere said.

Also, maybe a good subwoofer would help. I run a pair of Vandersteen 2Wqs with my almost full range speakers. It relieves the amp of having to drive deep bass into the mains, and these have an adjustable "Q" so you can tighten up the bass as desired. I bought them for about $775 each here on A-gon.
wolf_garcia
6,790 posts
 
I second the sub thing...been using a old REL Q150e and it really makes everything around it sing.
river251 OP
154 posts
 
Thanks very much guys. How does that work....say I have my MC240 driving the speakers. You can make everything below say 100hz go to the sub(s), so your main speakers are not trying to reproduce energy below 100? And the sub is working off of a different amp?
mapman's avatar
mapman
22,861 posts
 
What speakers are you targeting again? OR is that open as well?

The pre-amp/amp/speaker combo together along with good quality source material is the key to max out what you seek.

If speakers are open, getting something that will physically integrate well into your listening room is also important.

For reference, take a look at the new tube/Class D hybrid amps from Rogue. With many larger speakers out there today, something like that or a similar pre-amp/amp combo would likely address what you seek. OR if the tube amp is in good condition, you can find speakers to match to that well as an alternative, but the choices will be different and perhaps more limited.
More to discover