It is an amp question, yes, but I figured there are more EL70 listeners here and I know many of you are running tube amps, soooo...
Right now I am driving my dual-EL70 microTowers with a Grant Fidelity B-283 tube buffer (with NOS Mullards) + Yamaha R-S300 receiver.
It sounds fantastic. I am very, very happy with it and people comment all the time about how incredible my system sounds. I think the receiver is better than some might expect from a "mid-fi" unit.
Having said all this, I am growing more and more tempted to try a tube amp.
I have pretty-much decided already to buy the Musical Paradise MP-301 MkIII, and I just wanted to run this by you knowledgeable folks to see if you think this amp would be a good match with my EL70 towers.
Thoughts? Other suggestions in this price range? ($300)
Right now I am driving my dual-EL70 microTowers with a Grant Fidelity B-283 tube buffer (with NOS Mullards) + Yamaha R-S300 receiver.
It sounds fantastic. I am very, very happy with it and people comment all the time about how incredible my system sounds. I think the receiver is better than some might expect from a "mid-fi" unit.
Having said all this, I am growing more and more tempted to try a tube amp.
I have pretty-much decided already to buy the Musical Paradise MP-301 MkIII, and I just wanted to run this by you knowledgeable folks to see if you think this amp would be a good match with my EL70 towers.
Thoughts? Other suggestions in this price range? ($300)
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The option of rolling in some psvane KT88 tubes is very attractive!
Spare cash is an issue for me as well. I may actually have to sell other gear in order to justify the tube amp purchase (she's always watching!)
Tubeless?
I don't understand. It works without tubes?
It supports 6J1(P), EF95, 6AK7, CV4010 variants.
Mine came with Chinese 6J1 and I purchased a bunch of different ones from e-bay. Sylvania, Mullard, Raytheon, Russian Army ones, etc.
The NOS Mullards are my favourite so far. Very smooth. The Sylvanias are lively and "fast". The Raytheons are flat and fat (I think they are dead). The Chinese and Russians are OK, but I tend to run the Mullards all the time now. Just bought 2 more pair.
These are the Mullards I just bought... http://www.ebay.ca/itm/290466468755
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I bought it used cheap with no tubes, with the original idea of using it as a donor for a tube buffered phono preamp.
dave
Ah, I see.
If you want, I can send you a few pairs of the tubes I have no use for any more...
To address the original post's question - until I starting having issues with two different P/P EL84 amps that has since been quesstimated as bad rectifiers ( Sovtek 5AR4) and undersized fast blow fuse, I was driving my Castle / Towers with a Tubelab P/P ( Psvane 6BQ5 and 12AT7s- worth every penny as far as I'm concerned) at 12W and a DIY hack-job class A EL84 P/P at about 3.5W - neither ran out of juice for my needs.
I'll waffle a bit with the standard disclaimer "room/music/required SPLs" but I'd hazard a guess that if the MP301 is a real 6.5W of SE bliss, that'd quite probably be fine.
I'll waffle a bit with the standard disclaimer "room/music/required SPLs" but I'd hazard a guess that if the MP301 is a real 6.5W of SE bliss, that'd quite probably be fine.
The extra headroom of a PP EL84 amp might come in handy. You could run in triode for casual listening.
Is it still "down for the count", or did you get it fixed up?
jeff
Wonderboy was going to bench test again with proper fusing - this one's already been converted to SS rectification - the lack of voltage drop and turn-on surge is likely the culprit. Maybe some thermisters on the HT secondaries wouldn't hurt either - if it's good enough for Jim McShane & Eli Duttman's El Cheapo circuit.... .
Also good enough for Pete Millett. The DCPP amp has a CL140 right after the diodes for that very reason.
Another option would be to add SS diodes to the 5AR4 plates. That way you would benefit from the tubes voltage drop and not have to worry about reliability.
jeff
Well, I am really only assuming that my SPL requirements are not extreme.
I am running my SPL meter right now with the volume as high as I reasonably ever might have it.
Listening to Adele (live, acoustic), 12 feet from the speakers, SPL hitting 98.6dB.
Will a small tube amp keep up?
EDIT:.....David Bowie just kicked in and this volume level is too much for me (or maybe it is the Raytheon tubes I just stuck in the B283). Anyway, peaks of 99-100 dB at 12 feet are about as extreme as I get. David Bowie (China Girl) hovering around 80dB peak at 12 feet is comfortably loud and very, very cohesive...
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Not a chance at that distance. At those levels, your Yamaha is probably getting close to it's rated output.
At that level, a small amp would be fine. You'd only need a couple of watts. Bump that up to 90dB, and you'll need 16 watts to produce that peak. Every 3dB increase, you'll need to double the power.
It sounds like your B283 buffer is adding a lot of distortion.
jeff
A quick back of the hand calc, and giving some benefit to the doubt to room gain, the Yamaha is clipping at those levels.
dave
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