FozzZ,
From your other thread I recall that you are looking at a couple of high sensitivity drivers - Fostex FE206EN and the Mark Audio Alpair 12P.
Either of these drivers in a back loaded horn would be suited to a low power SE amp: APPJ EL84+12AX7 mini tube amp ( Original miniwatt N3 ) | eBay
From your other thread I recall that you are looking at a couple of high sensitivity drivers - Fostex FE206EN and the Mark Audio Alpair 12P.
Either of these drivers in a back loaded horn would be suited to a low power SE amp: APPJ EL84+12AX7 mini tube amp ( Original miniwatt N3 ) | eBay
^^^^thats correct, but I pretty much decided to take the advice given by Planet 10 Audio and use a smaller less efficient speaker because of the amplifier I'm currently using (there are other reasons as well). But because my current amplification may be a weak point, I figured it would be a good idea to start researching "better" amplifiers now.
those SA-50 have tubelike sound and destroys some expensive tubeamps, for example these:
Unison Research Smart 845
Octave V40 - Versterkers - EastWestAudioshop.nl
Unison Research Smart 845
Octave V40 - Versterkers - EastWestAudioshop.nl
For my money, the Magnavox, Motorola, Philco tube systems 'destroys' the few modern tube designs I've auditioned with 'FR' drivers. Not that more expensive tubes couldn't do better, but the price difference between these and a McIntosh MC275 or similar proves that the last ~5% of performance comes at an exponentially rising cost.
Regardless, thanks for the info as I'd like to get an inexpensive, 'lush' sounding SS amp if such exists with more dynamic headroom than the little chip amps I've seen folks recommend.
GM
Regardless, thanks for the info as I'd like to get an inexpensive, 'lush' sounding SS amp if such exists with more dynamic headroom than the little chip amps I've seen folks recommend.
GM
you can build your own EL84 SET amp on top of a common baking tray. you can do it for $150 if you already have the tools. once you hear the clarity and glassy highs of the EL84, you will never forget that.
i've never heard a lush sounding SS amp relative to a triode tube amp, and i've built and heard very many SS amps. i would go tubes for efficient fullrange speakers.
i've never heard a lush sounding SS amp relative to a triode tube amp, and i've built and heard very many SS amps. i would go tubes for efficient fullrange speakers.
As said above many of the amps from the end of the first tube era would suit, a Dyna SCA35 should be easy to find and cheap in Canada, with a few simple mods this is a fantastic amp.
Anything from Eriks pen ofcourse, like the Edison12 or the Audio Inovation amps, maybe harder to find in North America?
My own favourite amp, Mark Levinson ML11, should fit the bill too, does what You want but with seemingly endless power reserve.
Pretty reliable too, i haven´t even had to replace psu caps yet. Should be pretty easy to find and reasonably priced, utterly quiet too which i appreciate as most of my speakers have +100dB sensitivity.
Ingvar
Anything from Eriks pen ofcourse, like the Edison12 or the Audio Inovation amps, maybe harder to find in North America?
My own favourite amp, Mark Levinson ML11, should fit the bill too, does what You want but with seemingly endless power reserve.
Pretty reliable too, i haven´t even had to replace psu caps yet. Should be pretty easy to find and reasonably priced, utterly quiet too which i appreciate as most of my speakers have +100dB sensitivity.
Ingvar
I was referring to PP tube amps, which sound 'lush' relative to any SS amp I've auditioned. SET tubes are for the most part too 'lush' for me unless used to drive a compression horn and too expensive to get enough dynamic headroom with anything less efficient.
GM
You have to get lucky to get one real cheap. You can find them, I'm currently gathering parts for a dual mono PP EL84 inspired by Allen Wright's PP-1C andbased on SCA-35 donor iron.
And i did score an FM-3 at a garage sale in Edmonton for a $1.
dave
A good amp is a good amp. Don't try to force an amp make something out of your speakers they are not.
Old tube amps, if you prefer tubes, require considerable expense to refurb. New caps, maybe tubes, who knows. You have almost as big a problem with any used SS amp over 7 to 10 years old. They need refurb. You could build yourself a RLD or many of the established small PP tube designs but they will still cost you. Tubes ain't cheap.
I bought a Chinese 9W wonder cheap, and well, you get what you pay for. I used it to just to learn about tubes. Sounds better that the 6P1 it started as, but still sounded like a cheap piece of something already processed by a cow. I had a HK Elite 300a and reputation aside, it too sounded like an old weak and distorted amp from the 60's.
Most quality small amps seem to be integrated units. The old 9-series Rotels are quite forgiving. I picked up a small Creek cheap. Cambridge, Nad, many others. There were some older receivers that were very good: Kenwood, Nac, Pioneer, Rotrel and so on. You need to know which ones though and by now, they all need recapping.
I still don't go for the digital. I have heard cheap kits, and expensive big names. To me, they sound edgy and harsh. Every one of them. Gainclones if well done are OK, but a bit dull to me. So you can see my bias: My main system has a pair of Parasounds in it, I have a highly modified Hafler in my office, run an old Denon AVR in my guest room, and the creek in my bedroom. The Denons are actually quite good.
I was not fan of big amps until I bought my HCA 1200's. What they taught me was how bad my speakers were. My amp issues were never the amp. Darmn, sold my B&K for nothing!
Another alliterative is to head over to PASS land and see what Papa has cooked up.
Old tube amps, if you prefer tubes, require considerable expense to refurb. New caps, maybe tubes, who knows. You have almost as big a problem with any used SS amp over 7 to 10 years old. They need refurb. You could build yourself a RLD or many of the established small PP tube designs but they will still cost you. Tubes ain't cheap.
I bought a Chinese 9W wonder cheap, and well, you get what you pay for. I used it to just to learn about tubes. Sounds better that the 6P1 it started as, but still sounded like a cheap piece of something already processed by a cow. I had a HK Elite 300a and reputation aside, it too sounded like an old weak and distorted amp from the 60's.
Most quality small amps seem to be integrated units. The old 9-series Rotels are quite forgiving. I picked up a small Creek cheap. Cambridge, Nad, many others. There were some older receivers that were very good: Kenwood, Nac, Pioneer, Rotrel and so on. You need to know which ones though and by now, they all need recapping.
I still don't go for the digital. I have heard cheap kits, and expensive big names. To me, they sound edgy and harsh. Every one of them. Gainclones if well done are OK, but a bit dull to me. So you can see my bias: My main system has a pair of Parasounds in it, I have a highly modified Hafler in my office, run an old Denon AVR in my guest room, and the creek in my bedroom. The Denons are actually quite good.
I was not fan of big amps until I bought my HCA 1200's. What they taught me was how bad my speakers were. My amp issues were never the amp. Darmn, sold my B&K for nothing!
Another alliterative is to head over to PASS land and see what Papa has cooked up.
I've had many, various tube and solid state amps covering the "quality" spectrum (born in '51). I love building/repairing tube amps. At one point, some years ago, I was running an upgraded (driver and PS caps) Dynaco ST70 and a top of the line Onkyo (yeah, I know) into a full range from Paradigm (yeah, I know). Sometime after the Onkyo had been discontinued, a friend (studio musician) who was very familiar with both amps, kept begging me to sell him the Onkyo and Paradigms. I preferred this pair, myself. Music would just appear from nowhere. Talk about staging! And DEAD quiet. I finally gave in and sold him the gear. I have been kicking myself ever since. Best setup I've ever owned, bar none. Magic! For what it's worth, I'm starting to acquire parts for the F5 build here, to kick a pair of Mark Audio Alpair 6p into near field. But then, I prefer "clinical" and "sterile", only I use the terms "life like" and "transparent".
Thinking the larger MA is closer to a full range.
Funny you mention Paradigm. It was my Studio 20's that I thought were pretty good and sent me off experimenting with amps. On my latest builds, now my HCA 1200's can do their thing. A level of detail totally missing from the RB51's and DH-220's I had. With the much lower distortion speaker, the Parasound is now far more musical. With the Studio 20's I needed the masking effects of the old Rotel. Yea, Onk made some very good amps. They also made some not so good, so you have to know which was which. Heck, my old Denon DRA-35 budget receiver put a lot of high priced amps to shame for simple musicality. I only quit using it because I needed a really hot tuner due to the stations adding HD. Now I run a Kenwood and Creek where I had the Denon and a Nac ST-7 in my office.
Funny you mention Paradigm. It was my Studio 20's that I thought were pretty good and sent me off experimenting with amps. On my latest builds, now my HCA 1200's can do their thing. A level of detail totally missing from the RB51's and DH-220's I had. With the much lower distortion speaker, the Parasound is now far more musical. With the Studio 20's I needed the masking effects of the old Rotel. Yea, Onk made some very good amps. They also made some not so good, so you have to know which was which. Heck, my old Denon DRA-35 budget receiver put a lot of high priced amps to shame for simple musicality. I only quit using it because I needed a really hot tuner due to the stations adding HD. Now I run a Kenwood and Creek where I had the Denon and a Nac ST-7 in my office.
IMHO second hand tube gear reassembles a much better value.
Active devices are easily replaceable by simply plugging new sets of tubes into readily available sockets no soldering at all.
Trafos, chokes, foil caps last forever if not abused and burned out, electrolytic caps costs nothing in compare to valuable trafos, chokes and foil caps.
Agreed SS class A DIY also good. Power follower is another option.
IMHO class D amp with Fostex should be avoided for sure.
Active devices are easily replaceable by simply plugging new sets of tubes into readily available sockets no soldering at all.
Trafos, chokes, foil caps last forever if not abused and burned out, electrolytic caps costs nothing in compare to valuable trafos, chokes and foil caps.
Agreed SS class A DIY also good. Power follower is another option.
IMHO class D amp with Fostex should be avoided for sure.
Oh, I don't know about that. At this moment my "good" system has FE167E's in BR's over Goldwood GR-1858's in H-frames. The Goldwood's are powered by a Dayton DTA-100 and the Fostex's are powered by a Topping TP-60. With proper EQ, thanks to a miniDSP, this setup sounds pretty good.
One of the faults of cheap D amps is an undersized power supply. The TP-60 has two large toridal transformers, and a wee bit of of 60Hz hum gets into the output. Perhaps that's why this amp sounds a bit tubey.
Bob
One of the best amps we have here is a PP EL84 version of El Cheapo (Class A triode built on a Scott LK48 donor), it is only limited by its 3.2 W output
dave
and of course if you're not so hung up on the Class A triode thing y'all can get a whopping 15 or so (depending in how sill the tailwind is
) with the EL84 in PP pentode or UL mode- Status
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