The Stage likes tube amps. Another winner would be one of the new ICE
amps. I'm using one of the more expensive ones, the H2O, on the Stage's big
brother, the Scintilla. Jjaz makes a less expensive ICE amp. it's a honey for the
price. |
My Stage had a lot of great bass matched with a tube amp. One shouldn't feel nervous about an Apogee. The Stage does not need a brute amp to sound great. It is more important to have a clean sounding amp that is at least moderately strong. You don't need to spend the bank, either. If you want it all, then look into the ICE amps. There is no more powerful amp, that I have heard of, than the ICE amps mentioned above. The H2O shares the best sonic attributes of tube gear, with the muscle of the biggest Krell. |
Doctor, I used a Jolida 1000, on the four ohm tap of my Stages. The Jolida
handled the load with aplomb. Yes, it was somewhat syrupy, but that is just
byproduct of lower echelon tube gear. I ran a Pass X150 on Duettas.
Apogee hasn't made speakers in eight years. We are left to our own resources
to mate Apogees with amps. These days, there are a lot more exciting amps
to chose from without relying solely on the iron dragons of yesteryear.
I know what I am saying isn't common knowledge. It seems audiophiles are a
conservative bunch when it comes to their gear. It doesn't help that Mags, like
Stereophile, still champion huge solid state, and tube amps.
I understand the resistance. I too became defensive, when a fellow Apogee
owner told me a little cold stainless steel triangular amp worked wonders on
his Apogee. I just had a hard time believing it. Howerver, there was
something in the fellow's earnestness that won me over. I tried one of those
amps against huge solid state monoblocks, 150lbs. apiece. He was right. It
was as if someone had whisked away an army quilt from my Apogees.
Paul Speltz makes a very good autoformer. I heard one used on a Martin
Logan system. The amp was a sweet 7 watt Audio Note. It worked fine, not as
good as a Llano hybrid, or an S-H2O, but good. |
Doctor,
Have you owned the Apogee Stage? I found it a considerably easier load than the Duetta, and by a long shot, the Scintilla. RGocin knows what I'm talking about.
There are people happily using tube gear on all Apogees, but the Scintilla. There were people very upset at me for buying a Scintilla. One wrote, "Now, you will have to use solid state, and you will never be happy."
You know, I think he was right. I was not satisfied with the sound of solid state.
ICE powered amps provide the same naturalness as great tube amps do, adding prodigious power, speed, and dynamics. The H2O, with it's large analog power supply, leads the pack IMO.
It has been reviewed by 6Moons
http://www.6moons.com/audioreviews/h2o/m250.html |
Doctor,
I'm the wrong person to be defending tubes. The only ones left in my stereo chain are in my DAC.
And, I won't be defending solid state either. My PWM monos have buried any interest I may have had in the best of them.
Both types of conventional amps have too many negatives.
You are right about edges. The PWM amps have sharp edges, only approximated by solid state. The PWM H2O out powers my former Pass X-600. The H2O digs deeper into the Bass, and with complete control. There is so much more information unveiled.
|
Morbius, Like you, I base my audio decisions on what I hear at live performances. My Scintillas are very close to seconding my own piano.
I have found there are a number of paths open to approximating the live event. For instance, SET systems can be convincing. TacT is effective too. So far, in my experience, no path leads from solid state. Perhaps I just haven't heard the right one.
The fact is, PWM modules are much faster, and more efficient than transistors. They can retrieve faint signals that are smeared over by solid state. H2O breathes life-likeness into the music, given the right speakers. The Stage is the right speaker. |
Morbius,
The Apogee may be coming back, under a new banner. Analysis Audio has made a good go at it. Word is Graz, of Down Under, is busy creating a new line of ribbon speakers.
BTW, My daughter plays viola, my son the bugle, my wife, the piano. We've been personally involved, as a family, in large and small acoustic venues for many years.
That is why I had to have the Scintilla. In a smaller room, I would opt for the Stage. |
The H2O gives even the most demanding Apogee all the current it needs, plus, like I pointed out, set a new standard for leading edge, transparency, and decay. |
Morbius, what are you using to drive your Minigrands? |
morbius,
Krell is a fine amp for solid state. I believe Boulder would better. Both
represent an old technology. The new fast switching technology is sweeping
acceptable standards set by transistor powered amps aside.
Accuracy doesn't just apply to frequency response. Timbre truth depends on
speed as well. You can't hear a string instrument's full character if subtle
sounds made by twisting of the bow is missing. That comes with speed, and
an amp's ability to fully support the loudest, and softest signals
simultaneously. The H2O has that speed, and separation.
Say, what do you think about parallel universes? |
Hi Jeff,
A lot of scientists understanding of the cosmos is based on mathematical elegance, and conjecture. Some things, like the aftermath of the Big Bang, can be measured. Gravity can be measured, but the source of this weak force has had scientists stumped. Using a theoretical parallel universe model, gravity makes sense. It ties neatly into other space/time theories too.
NOVA has been running a series on it all:
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/elegant/program.html |
