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Character of EL-84 amps

I did a lot of auditioning of ProAc speakers at Arizona Hifi...super excellent guys. I listened for the first two visits to a Leben EL-84 integrated, with around 20 wpc. It sounded lovely. Maybe the nicest amp I have ever heard. On the third visit I switched mid visit to the big Leben and pre, with 6550s. A much different sound. But, I keep thinking back, and think that I really liked the EL-84 sound. It seemed lighter, airier, less thick and heavy. More pleasant and easier to listen to. At the time I thought it possibly a bit thin. Now I think maybe I want that sound.

I have not heard other EL-84 amps. There is the RM-10. Manley makes one with 4 EL-84s per side. I have a Scott integrated I never liked, but maybe I can mod it.

Is it generally true of EL-84 amps that they are lighter and airier, more delicate, in sound than EL-34/6550/6L6 etc amps? Or should I not assume what is true with Leben is true with all EL-84 amps?

Thanks,
Jim
river251
marakanetz's avatar
marakanetz
5,473 posts
 
I like HH Scott vintage integrated amp. For bellow $1k you get fully-fully restored full function amp. It may outlive and outperform MONSTERS for 10x the price coz the built quality is 2nd to none.
sfar's avatar
sfar
1,758 posts
 
The Jolida FX10 integrated is EL-84 based, 10 watts/channel and a real bargain. Difficult for me to compare the sound to my EL-34/KT-88 amp because everything about them and their systems is so different but the Jolida does have an openness that works extremely well with the kinds of music I listen to most of the time.

The Russian 6P14P-EV tube is a drop-in replacement for the EL-84, sounds excellent and has been more reliable than some of the vintage EL-84s I've bought.
sfar's avatar
sfar
1,758 posts
 
Mt10425 -- I don't have any experience with the sound of the 6p1t tube and can't comment on that but just a caution that it's not interchangeable with the EL-84 tube.

This from the tnt-audio review of the Sophia Baby, "The quad of output tubes are Russian military 6P1T pentodes, treated by Sophia for low noise. While the 6P1T is similar in dimensions and outward appearance to the EL84 family of tubes, they are not interchangeable due to significant electrical differences."
audioconnection
1,271 posts
 
There is the Music Reference RM-10 II
This amp is one of the best we have heard in the last 20 years and made in USA
It is also a modern circuit not a copy of someone else s
and you will like the extra power with the Proacs.
Yes I am a dealer but this amp is Bad ass with peaks of 40 watts per ch.
Cheers JohnnyR
clio09
3,355 posts
 
I would not buy into the theory that the EL-84 is lighter, airier, and more delicate in sound than those other tubes you mentioned. I have owned both a Music Reference RM-9 and RM-10 and while the RM-10 has about a third of the power of it's EL-84 big brother, it has balls. Then again where most designers are hard pressed to squeeze 15 watts out of an EL-84 design, Roger Modjeski gets 35 watts. The extra power gives this little amp a bid sound versus some of the lower powered EL-84's I have heard. There is a 6moons review of this amp worth checking out.
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