Good Tube Amp w/Quatros?

Palewin....I spoke to Richard not long agon, and he said that people who send in those cards with ancillary equipment say that both Ayre and Audio Research are the top electronics for the top end Vandersteens. You aren't making a mistake choosing either one.

From what I've read (and seen myself at one presentation Vandersteen held at Audio Connection in NJ), Richard normally demos with Audio Research equipment, and I believe he voices his speakers with ARC electronics as well.

Thanks for the suggestions but I'm going to keep my Ascendants.

Why do you insist on tubes??

Remember, you are trying to get the best sound you can from your Quatros, not to just use tubes.

Quatros have great advantages to getting tubes to sound good;
1.0 Super easy impedance.
2.0 Main amplifier isn't really driving the bass, a tube weak spot.

A sore spot is Quatro's already have a fixed "house" sound that is warm and nice but MORE of that sound can get almost too warm with tubes. It's the old more of a good thing is not good thing. It takes gutsy and expensive tube amps to sound crisp and clean. Have you considered a tube stage preamp instead? This is an easier option with Quatro's. Look at, and audition, an Audio Research LS-17. This would probably be nice into a SS amplifier. This unit should not be too "warm" into Quatro's.

So for a given set-up, Quatro's can do well with tubes, don't get me wrong on that. BUT, you want to get the sound as good as you can for the MONEY, not just use tubes, per say. Getting an inexpensive tube amplifier to sound good, but worse than a SS amp in the same price point, seems counter productive to the end game, getting the sound as good as you can. You might switch your effort to tube pre and SS power to maximize your end game.

But this is indeed entertainmnet, so LISTEN before you buy to get what you enjoy. Who cares what we "think"!

Anyone using a Rogue Stereo 90 with their Vandies? 90 watts and a very good upgrade package and very reasonably priced.

Guys,

Thanks for the info. I will definitely compare any tube to what I already have to see if a 100% tube amp is what I want.

I would listen for an extened session with your equipment before making a decision.

I auditioned a Conrad Johnson CT3 SE, and the "tube" mystic just didn't get it with me. They cropped the top off detail and transients. Sure, they never sounded "bright" but that also means what were "proper" sounding sources were now robbed of richness and detail. This was NOT a cheap preamp, either.

The midrange detail that tubes are supposed to be famous for was not present to the level that I was pulled off the ship by the Sirens of Titan and into the sea. The sound was intoxication, but I don't often view the world drunk...or like it for long. The soft sound is permanent, too. A single twinkle or voice or boom sounded nice, but the complex sounds that make music were too blurred together and compressed for my tast. Tubes do best on simpler music.

SS units have converged on the best tube's midrange sound and at much lower prices, while keeping the highs, lows and dynamics. They sell far fewer tube units so the R&D cost is heavilly absorbed on small unit sales. Tubes JUST started to be able to drive high impedance cable any real distance with hybrid output stages. The bang for the buck is lower.

The mystical tube sound (at the real high levels of quality people speak of) are indeed in amps, not preamps and with the SET arrangement that yields little power and headroom(far less than Quatros will need) at reasonable prices.

So I would NOT follow the tube mystic without extended listening sessions and compare SS units on the same source material and over extended sessions with the same balance of equipment. I did just, this and am walking away from tubes in the sub 20K price range. SS is just so much better than it used to be that overall, I feel it is superior to tubes in most cases EXCEPT super efficient speakers with SET amplifiers and that's a long way from what a Quatros is, or ever will be.

So don't read about what you buy till you believe it. Go to a good dealer, take equipment home and LISTEN longer term to tubes and SS in the same price range and THEN decide if the tubes sound is for you. It can be, but at prices mortals seldom can afford.

I used Pass Labs X250.5 very nice match.

Thanks for the suggestions. I would prefer stereo tube amp that's enclosed since I have little ones. I still remember the sound of the Rogue Cronos and Vandies 2 Ce Sig II I had several years ago and it was wonderful so 100 tube amps.

Thanks,
Wig

I've heard Audio Research sound sublime with Vandersteens.

Aethetix Altas hybrid amp is perfect. Right power and tone with a built in xover to perfectly mate with your speaker!

Read up on it and you will find it a perfect mate.

I hit 'Submit' too soon.

I've always loved the sounds of triodes over pentodes/tetrodes, but some prefer the latter for its punchiness. Perhaps a push/pull amp in the 100-to-150-Watt range that's switchable to triode mode? Antique Sound Lab Hurricanes? (They're 200W. monos with about 100W in triode.)

Quicksilver V4s? Monoamps again, this time 120W. Another highly mature and very good tubed poweramp, stereo this time, is the conrad-johnson premier 11A. 70WPC, ultraliner only (= no triode mode).

And lots LOVE their V'steens with ARC tubed amps, but I don't know much about them.

You also might ask your question here...
http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?board=194.0
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Hi Ron. What's your budget?
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I just happen to have a pair of Atma-Sphere M-60s for sale, and they have the correct hi-pass filter already installed.
http://ads.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cl.pl?ampstube&1329262165
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