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Need advice - EL34 switchable Ultralinear/SEP

Anyone can recommend a switchable Ultralinear / SEP (or SET) mode, preferably EL34 output type power amp.

I plan to have this amp mated with a passive preamp (Lightspeed Attenuator) or Conrad Johnson PV-10 and speakers between Magnepan 1.7 (for Ultralinear mode) and Zu Omen Standard (SEP or SET mode).

Not sure how much power is needed for Magggie 1.7, but I would imagine that in the north of 35W in ultralinear mode would be needed. Another concern is 5 ohm impedance make me think if there is such amp out there.

Price range - up to $3000 used/new
nguyen787
nguyen787 OP
52 posts
 
Is it just me or shared with others - 12 output tubes seem to be too many for a stereo power amp. Tube cost is quite high and more things may go wrong. For Cary V12 owners and others who own amplifier with lot of tube (> 6), what are your experience with such amp? Am I worrying of nothing?
fin1bxn
140 posts
 
I have a pr of Manley Snappers 100 watts UltraLinear EL34 at 5ohm. They do NOT drive my Maggie 1.6s well. I love these amps on my other speakers (Pure Magic) but with the magnepans SS power for me Pass X250
lissnr
365 posts
 
No worries at all...They are very easy to bias, you will get several thousand hours (at least 2 - 3 or more) and the price of EL-34's are still quite reasonable. Each time you re-tube it's very easy to do and the sonic pleasure of running output - tube based amplifiers is both unmistakably pleasant and instantly addicting. The Cary V-12 series is an excellent example of a user friendly and extremely satisfying component in one's music system...it just makes wonderful music and is WELL worth the minor "maintenance requirements" for such soul-satisfying pleasure. YM ("Your Mileage") WON'T Vary... IMHO, as good as many fine SS amps can and do sound, you've never really become "One with the music" until you've basked in the sound of all those glowing music - making valves (no insult intended to you SS folks). Just do it. Good luck
audiophile333
4 posts
 
Fin1bxn,
I own a pair of Snappers and am looking for a good speaker match. What is your Pure Magic combo?
Thanks,
zd542
5,339 posts
 
"Is it just me or shared with others - 12 output tubes seem to be too many for a stereo power amp. Tube cost is quite high and more things may go wrong."

Its a legitimate concern. It really depends on the design of the amp. I don't remember all the technical details because it was a long time ago, but I had an Audio Research VT100 and had a tube go bad. It actually did damage to the amp itself, along with the bad tube. I replaced it with a VAC amp and was told that the same thing couldn't happen to the VAC because its designed differently. I would just lose the tube, and nothing else. Like I said, though, it was a long time ago and I just don't remember all the details.
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