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the best 'tubey amp - warm,smooth,liquid' ?

i'm using the word 'tube' as the meaning of warm,smooth and liquid sound.
but i could't compare to some tube amps like mcintosh(mc275), cary(cad 805), arc(vs115) and conrad-johnson(premier) at one place and the same time.
some say mcintosh lean, cary weak and not bloom, arc not tubey and cj no clarity.
i need your experiences and advices.
actually i have a difficulty to match speaker systems with.
zabiaud
vegasears
1,173 posts
 
I agree with Hifigeek. Look into EL 34 based amps. I have a older Jolida 1000 integrated amp in a second system and it's sweet as syrup with great inter detail.
rlwainwright
1,904 posts
 
The Butler TDB-2250 has gotten high praise for its unique design and very high-current output. Google it and see what others are saying...

http://butleraudio.com/tdb2250.php

-RW-
early's avatar
early
63 posts
 
I happen to have a sweet Mastersound 300b available.
rrog
1,958 posts
 
Early, Which model do you have and what tube was it designed with (Vaic-KR)?
audiozen
831 posts
 
Zabiaud..If you are after that warm, lush, very smooth sweet sound then you should consider the tubes rather then the brand of the tube amp itself. There's a company out of China, called Psvane & Shuguang. Their tubes are made like tubes were in the late fifties and early sixties. With heavy filaments and thick envelopes. They are pricey but have a very long life. The tubes are beautifully cased in wood boxes. They are the best built tubes on the market.
Go to the Grant Fidelity website in Canada. They are the North America Distributor and you can buy direct. Again, these tubes have a very classic sound that was common fifty
years ago and are warmer and richer than other tubes of today. Some may find these tubes too warm and laid back and overly lush. but thats what I prefer personally so it all depends how much warmth your after.
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