Yes, my amps use 20db and I believe his was similar. Really very similar designs as well, his amp was a 12AX7 gain stage directly coupled to 12AU7 LTP driving some KT88's. My amps are a triode strapped EF86 directly coupled to a 12AX7 LTP driving some KT77's. Both amps Ultra Linear as well.
If the preferred amp did not have GNFB then some would have taken that as evidence that GNFB kills music. Curiously, such folk are usually reluctant to accept that GNFB (when used properly) reduces distortion and output impedance (thus giving flatter frequency response) so Occam's Razor says that they prefer more distortion and lumpy frequency response.
Paradigm Reference Studio 100 v2 floorstanders. 88-89db sensitivity @2.83V
Stereophile: solid line is impedance 3-Ohms @90Hz 20-Ohms @1800Hz. Dashed line is phase.
jdrouin" I mean, they're not bad at all; they just don't have that effortless, airy, transient magic that I've heard from simpler speakers with tube amps.
But with more power/current or a different amp their character might change."
(This is the bet jdrouin wants to place on a high power tube amp)
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An undefined factor was entered into the equation so the solution could not be determined.
Man, I spent last week into this keeping students from bickering in the classroom not knowing that the same thing was happening here. ;-)
I finally had a chance to get back to this thread, and although I do take a side in what has passed, I'm glad that others chimed in to shift the discussion toward the difference between preference / measurement, etc., so I'll leave it at that. I have learned a lot from all of you, so thank you.
LineSource -- thanks for chiming in with the specs on my speakers. I've always considered their sensitivity to be 91db, the in-room figure, but perhaps when considering components it's more useful to go with the anechoic value?
I've been thinking a lot more about the question of finding a higher wattage & higher current tube amp to drive the Paradigms vs. committing to the shift toward a lower wattage & higher efficiency system. Reading through tons of reviews and forum threads going back to 1999, many owners of my speakers report a significant improvement in all sonic dimensions with about 200wpc and high current, which means nearly all of them were SS. One person at Audiogon, however, claims to have gotten the best control and musicality out of the Cary V12 tube amp, at 60wpc but putting out high current, even as compared to a slew of high-end SS amps (Mac, etc.) that he owns.
AudiogoN Forums: Question for Paradigm Studio 100 owners ...
There is a Cary V12 available at present for roughly $2,800.
So, I don't know. Most owners of these speakers report lackluster to adequate soundstage even with excellent amp capacity, and even with the large room (quite a bit larger than mine) required to allow them to blossom. I could add a power amp to my signal chain (i.e. Marantz MA-700, Rotel RB-1090); try to refurbish something like an HK Citation II or V, or pick up a Cary V12, to try and achieve the kind of sound I prefer; or else find speakers that are smaller, more efficient, and more directional that would suite my circumstances better, and then build from there.
I think I might have just answered my question.
I finally had a chance to get back to this thread, and although I do take a side in what has passed, I'm glad that others chimed in to shift the discussion toward the difference between preference / measurement, etc., so I'll leave it at that. I have learned a lot from all of you, so thank you.
LineSource -- thanks for chiming in with the specs on my speakers. I've always considered their sensitivity to be 91db, the in-room figure, but perhaps when considering components it's more useful to go with the anechoic value?
I've been thinking a lot more about the question of finding a higher wattage & higher current tube amp to drive the Paradigms vs. committing to the shift toward a lower wattage & higher efficiency system. Reading through tons of reviews and forum threads going back to 1999, many owners of my speakers report a significant improvement in all sonic dimensions with about 200wpc and high current, which means nearly all of them were SS. One person at Audiogon, however, claims to have gotten the best control and musicality out of the Cary V12 tube amp, at 60wpc but putting out high current, even as compared to a slew of high-end SS amps (Mac, etc.) that he owns.
AudiogoN Forums: Question for Paradigm Studio 100 owners ...
There is a Cary V12 available at present for roughly $2,800.
So, I don't know. Most owners of these speakers report lackluster to adequate soundstage even with excellent amp capacity, and even with the large room (quite a bit larger than mine) required to allow them to blossom. I could add a power amp to my signal chain (i.e. Marantz MA-700, Rotel RB-1090); try to refurbish something like an HK Citation II or V, or pick up a Cary V12, to try and achieve the kind of sound I prefer; or else find speakers that are smaller, more efficient, and more directional that would suite my circumstances better, and then build from there.
I think I might have just answered my question.
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It's a hot and expensive tone control you can't turn off. To get an idea of what it will sound like with your speakers, stick a 5R resistor in series with the output of your amp. If you like that sound, you can either EQ to get it or drop $3k (plus ongoing costs for tube replacement, maintenance, and electric bills) on the Cary. Distortion on your speakers will be quite high- this is an amp much more suited to high and relatively flat impedances. The drop in impedance right in the middle of the bass range to 3 ohms for your speakers will greatly limit power delivery.
You could start at the back end and work your way forward but I think you'll get the best start by finding a sufficiently quiet and stable turntable and good cartridge w/ high channel seperation specs and wide FR.
Should be able to do it for < $500.
20
Thank you LineSource for posting the data.
With the wrong tube amp you could be unhappy with the low end using those speakers. I have a feeling these speakers were designed for low Z high power (>100watts) modern amplifiers. Others and I have suggested you could get a similar effect using some series resistance with your current amplifier and speaker, if you like what you hear then that will give you a better idea of what is acceptable or even preferable to purchase.
With the wrong tube amp you could be unhappy with the low end using those speakers. I have a feeling these speakers were designed for low Z high power (>100watts) modern amplifiers. Others and I have suggested you could get a similar effect using some series resistance with your current amplifier and speaker, if you like what you hear then that will give you a better idea of what is acceptable or even preferable to purchase.
Those are not that much more efficient.
It's not an accurate assumption to say that you know those speakers sound good with tubes. Tube topologies differ greatly and yield very different results. If you have had a specific experience with those speakers and a specific amp then that specific amp is a good place to start.
It's not an accurate assumption to say that you know those speakers sound good with tubes. Tube topologies differ greatly and yield very different results. If you have had a specific experience with those speakers and a specific amp then that specific amp is a good place to start.
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