2. amps-preamps
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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
bifwynne
2,206 posts
 
Jim, I strongly advise you NOT to blow off Ralph's (Atmasphere) advice. Old caps DO dry out and may need to be serviced. Had the same experience when I pulled my old Crown DC 300 amp out of the closet. Sent it back to the factory for a check up. Quite a few passives had to be replaced.
atmasphere's avatar
atmasphere
11,640 posts
 
Yes, you can't store **any** amplifier for years (long enough for surrounds to perish) and expect it to sound right after that. The filter caps die if they don't have voltage applied to them occasionally.

If you want tubes to sound right- play bass right and do the highs right, stay away from B&W- for the most part they are designed for transistor amps and are incompatible with tubes.

I'd love to find some of those Minimus 7s - they were cool little speakers.
mapman's avatar
mapman
21,909 posts
 
River,

I worked at Radio Shack for years years ago and I have a pair of weather-worn walnut Minimus 7s running off my main rig still out on my deck. They are hard to beat for their size and original cost ($100/pr or less when on sale). They used to fly ouit the store when on sale in particular. I should add a picture to my OHM Sweet OHM System. They fit the bill nicely for my deck use running off the Bel Canto ref1000m 500 w/ch Class D amps. I push them fairly loudly out there but never to the limit. THey are not young. Frankly most any 40 watt or so or better amp not pushed to clipping can work well with those. A tube amp might be a nice match, but have never tried.

Agree with Atmasphere. I would not touch most any B&W with a tube amp for serious listening.
river251 OP
154 posts
 
Thank you all for your advice, esp. on the B&Ws. I'd seen one post to that effect but didn't know whether to believe it, I do now.

This presents a delimma on the Mac and Marantz. I'd like to buy a nicer house. I've been counting on turning those old amps into part of a down payment. So I'm scared to upgrade them and hurt the value. They were in use until 2005, put in storage, woken up and used for a month by my engineer friend with a variac in 2009, and in storage since, and I woke them up over 2 days each with my variac. I would not be surprised if the caps need replacing, but they sound OK. Just afraid to decrease their value. But I am hoping I don't have to ever sell the 8B.

What I need is to make more money to play this game. Hopefully that is in my future :-)
river251 OP
154 posts
 
Wolf, I came to Jolida through another route, then called Underwood. I'm looking hard at this option. Then, not remembering which amp you mentioned, I came back to look at your post, so I'd have a list of the two new amps in my range. But yours was Jolida too. Underwood and I talked a long time yesterday. He told me about his upgrades (which are covered under warranty). Is that what you mean by upgrades? He said without the upgrades the Jolidas have the typical tubey sound but with his upgrades they sound modern in both lows and highs. True in your opinion?

Thanks! We may end up with the same amp.

Jim
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