Hi all!
This is my first post in this forum by the way
.
My amplifier is not a DIY amplifier, but this forum seemed to be the best place to seek help.
I just got my self a pair of Dynaudio contour s3.4 speakers that sounds amazing, but I just don't think that my amplifier delivers the bottom that I really want out of them. The sound is a little too warm/organic (I think that's what you call it) the bottom is just not punchy and detailed enough, and I know that these speakers has a very well defined bass. I'm thinking that a pure transistor amplifier with a high capacitance could improve that, but I'm also wondering if it's just the sound of my current tubes in my vincent amplifier? I know that the amplifier also has a decent amount of peak current, so I'm considering trying new tubes, before I go with a new amplifier.
My setup is:
Amplifier: vincent sv-226mk2 (with 3 mullard ecc83 reissue tubes)
Speakers: Dynaudio contour s3.4
DAC: Arcam IRDac 2
I have currently installed 3 Mullard tubes because I thought that all 3 slots in the amplifier served the same purpose, after further investigation I have found out that it's not the case. So my first question is:
Can anybody tell me what the v1, v2 and v3 slot does in this amplifier? (Vincent sv-226mk2) I can't find anything on it in the manual.
And would any of you suggest which tube I should exchange with another one? And can you recommend any new production tubes which could tightened up the bass? A whole setup of 3 tubes would also be nice.
Best regards
Nicolai
This is my first post in this forum by the way
.My amplifier is not a DIY amplifier, but this forum seemed to be the best place to seek help.
I just got my self a pair of Dynaudio contour s3.4 speakers that sounds amazing, but I just don't think that my amplifier delivers the bottom that I really want out of them. The sound is a little too warm/organic (I think that's what you call it) the bottom is just not punchy and detailed enough, and I know that these speakers has a very well defined bass. I'm thinking that a pure transistor amplifier with a high capacitance could improve that, but I'm also wondering if it's just the sound of my current tubes in my vincent amplifier? I know that the amplifier also has a decent amount of peak current, so I'm considering trying new tubes, before I go with a new amplifier.
My setup is:
Amplifier: vincent sv-226mk2 (with 3 mullard ecc83 reissue tubes)
Speakers: Dynaudio contour s3.4
DAC: Arcam IRDac 2
I have currently installed 3 Mullard tubes because I thought that all 3 slots in the amplifier served the same purpose, after further investigation I have found out that it's not the case. So my first question is:
Can anybody tell me what the v1, v2 and v3 slot does in this amplifier? (Vincent sv-226mk2) I can't find anything on it in the manual.
And would any of you suggest which tube I should exchange with another one? And can you recommend any new production tubes which could tightened up the bass? A whole setup of 3 tubes would also be nice
.Best regards
Nicolai
Looks like the original valve/tube complement is china 6N4, which is ecc83. The manufacturer claims 200WPC at 4 ohm output.... Your speakers are 2-way 4 ohm bass reflex with 86db sensitivity with typical cross-over point at 2kHz.
No problem so far, except that it sounds kinda like crap? I would not fault the valves/tubes.
Ian
p.s. you will need a schematic. in the very least a service manual. good luck!
No problem so far, except that it sounds kinda like crap? I would not fault the valves/tubes.
Ian
p.s. you will need a schematic. in the very least a service manual. good luck!
I didn't say that it sound like crap, I just said that the bass is not well defined enough. I have listened to some Dynaudio excite x34 and x38 driven by a Hegel amplifier where the bass were way more tight and controlled compared to my setup, and my Dynaudio speakers are even better than the excite series (also double as expensive). It's not like I think something is wrong,I just want to experiment with new tubes in order to get a more controlled bass, if it's possible.
I have just send Vincent a request for a schematic or information about the slots.
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The amp and speakers are "joined at the hip". Tubed power amps don't exhibit the damping factor SS amps do. "Rolling" the small signal tubes will not improve voice coil control, sorry.
Can a link to the impedance curve of the speakers be provided? Dips in the curve, at low frequencies could easily cause what you hear. Unfortunately, my instincts tell me that synergy between these (presumably) otherwise satisfactory items is not to be had.
Can a link to the impedance curve of the speakers be provided? Dips in the curve, at low frequencies could easily cause what you hear. Unfortunately, my instincts tell me that synergy between these (presumably) otherwise satisfactory items is not to be had.
I can't find a curve for my specific model, but the most of the impedance curves I find for other Dynaudio speakers have dips in the lower frequencies. The contour 3.0 would be most close to my speakers and the curve looks like this:
Attachments
Yes, it's a hybrid amp
So maybe my current tubes requires more voltage than the amplifier is designed to deliver? Wouldn't that impact the whole frequency range?
I'm sorry but I don't know what h2 distortion is.
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Hi Nicoli
Since output not tubes, I can only fault that (or the original design).
Ecc83 is exceptionally linear, but as parafeed813 notes, low B+ is not a good implementation (if this is the case). Even cheeep chinese ones are normally good.
I would expect the 'fault' to be in the design, not the tube.
Ian
Since output not tubes, I can only fault that (or the original design).
Ecc83 is exceptionally linear, but as parafeed813 notes, low B+ is not a good implementation (if this is the case). Even cheeep chinese ones are normally good.
I would expect the 'fault' to be in the design, not the tube.
Ian
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Why not try to loan an amp from dealer or nearby sellers ? Better test it
before buying. As other has said : " amp and speakers may (or may not) be a good combination"
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Most Vincent amps are using high bias = class-a mode for the first 8-10 watts. Some people have improved the bass response by lowering the bias, thus making it more class a/b. I´m not certain of your model, but several Vincent´s have room for a bias pot, but instead they are supplied with a fixed resistor as bias setting. You might want to try this, before exchanging the amp
I can't imagine that anyone would borrow me a amplifier in that price range, really. Maybe I can buy one from a store and refund it after I have tried it at home, but I can't afford that at the moment
.Most Vincent amps are using high bias = class-a mode for the first 8-10 watts. Some people have improved the bass response by lowering the bias, thus making it more class a/b. I´m not certain of your model, but several Vincent´s have room for a bias pot, but instead they are supplied with a fixed resistor as bias setting. You might want to try this, before exchanging the amp
Awesome I didn't know that, but it would require me to solder a resistor on somewhere right? I don't feel confident in doing that since I'm not that much into DIY DC circuits. I would not take the chance, what if I end up frying the amplifier?
@ Nicolai,
Not disagreeing with other members, but one needs to be careful in comparing 'other' amplifiers and 'other' loudspeakers. You live in a big city; is there no one where you can take your amplifier for a direct comparison? In the graphs you have given there are two peaks in the bass region, and it might be that those influence bass audibility.
@ Boydk,
You said high bias = class A and low bias = class AB. If you meant bias voltage, it is actually the opposite. Class A would mean high current/low bias voltage, and class AB less current, higher bias voltager. You did say that came from other people so it may be impossible to determine what exactly happened.
Not disagreeing with other members, but one needs to be careful in comparing 'other' amplifiers and 'other' loudspeakers. You live in a big city; is there no one where you can take your amplifier for a direct comparison? In the graphs you have given there are two peaks in the bass region, and it might be that those influence bass audibility.
@ Boydk,
You said high bias = class A and low bias = class AB. If you meant bias voltage, it is actually the opposite. Class A would mean high current/low bias voltage, and class AB less current, higher bias voltager. You did say that came from other people so it may be impossible to determine what exactly happened.
Before you chuck out your amp, try to swop in some different valves just to be sure.
I use ECC83 in my preamp and found some very expensive NOS Mullards to be notably inferior in the bass than several others I tried, including some inexpensive ones.
By the way, I am driving 86dB speakers with an amp rated at 40W into 4Ohms with a 'meagre' damping factor of only 20.
I use ECC83 in my preamp and found some very expensive NOS Mullards to be notably inferior in the bass than several others I tried, including some inexpensive ones.
By the way, I am driving 86dB speakers with an amp rated at 40W into 4Ohms with a 'meagre' damping factor of only 20.
Okay if only my speakers were still available in stores it would be much easier. But I need to look for dealers that provide a service like that.
That was my initial approach before buying a new amplifier, actually I currently have 3 Mullard reissue tubes in my amplifier which is not the same as the original NOS, but the sound should be very close. If I wanted to try some other tubes with potential tighter bass, which tubes would you recommend?
I think you might be looking on another vincent amp, mine doesn't have any window and it has 3 ecc83 tubes and not 1.
Okay thanks for the tip, I can provide more pictures if it helps? I still haven't heard from vincent since I contacted them, maybe I should try the dealer where I bought the amplifier.
I'm considering to try a reissue tung sol, and if it turns out that it helps I'll start looking on NOS tubes.
I'm considering to try a reissue tung sol, and if it turns out that it helps I'll start looking on NOS tubes.
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