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Can tube amps give true high end bass?

I got the giant Silverline Grande La Folia speakers. They are really good and true high end in my opinion. They are efficient ca 93Db but got for bass 4 x 9,5ยด dynaudio woofers in each cabinet. I have tried 2 tube amps with them: Antique Sound Labs monos 2x60w and a protype VERY good 2x40W with El34 tubes (more about that amp in a later tread). And I have tried 2 transistor amps: An Ayre V1xe and Krell 450mcx monos. All givin very good sound in the mids and heigths BUT very different in bass. In my opinion the best bass was from the tube amps. Powerful deep bass!!

My dealer clames that such big speakers need a lot of power to control the 8 woofers: You must have several 100W i.e. tranistor or BIG tube amps like big VTL. With the "small" tube amps, that you have tried, the woofers get out of control and "pumping" air in an incorrect way. This movement in the woofers gives sound on it own that you only THINK is good bass!

Beeing an audiophile for 30 years I think I can determine when I hear good bass. But I am puzzled! -How can a 40W tube amp give better bass that Krell 450 monos?
ulf

Showing 1 response by montytx

montytx
138 posts
 
If your tube amps compliment the impedence characteristics of your speakers, there is no reason that tube amps can't produce the control needed on the woofers. The problems start when the tube amps aren't properly mated to the right speakers and get overdriven, saturate the transformer and generally let the woofers run wild.

Radical phase angles, substantially wild impdence curves and inefficient speakers give tube gear fits. You gotta match this stuff up right. When it's right, it's very right.
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