Of those listed, I'd take a serious look at the Brunoco. The others, meh.
What's your budget?
Help with first tube amp
I’m looking for some guidance on purchasing my first tube amp.
My current setup: Speakers: Sonus Faber Sonetto 1 G2 bookshelf speakers. (I plan to add a subwoofer soon)
Amp/Source: Cambridge Audio EVO 150 (all-in-one integrated with built-in streamer & DAC)
The EVO 150 made sense originally because I didn’t have room for multiple components, but after some renovations I now have space and flexibility to build out a proper system.
Since this would be my first tube amp, I was hoping to keep costs reasonable and have been considering: •Muzishare X7 (KT88) •Cayin A-88T (KT88) •A used Muzishare R100 (300B) available locally •A used Brunoco Terra 6L6 PP available locally
My questions:
1. Will I actually hear a meaningful difference between my EVO 150 and these lower-cost tube amps?
2. Are my Sonus Faber Sonetto 1 G2s at 87 db sensitivity a good match for these lower-power tube amps ?
3. Anything I should keep in mind as a first-time tube amp buyer who listens mostly to vinyl and streaming?
4. What If I used the EVO 150 as a pre amp with the tube amp as power source only? Would that still give me that tube sound ?
Thanks in advance — really appreciate any advice from folks with experience!
@elliottbnewcombjr I live in the New York City area. Brooklyn to be exact. I only know of one place in nyc area that has tube amps (Innovative Audio ) but they are pushing very expensive equipment. If there are other places in nyc area that I could demo tube amps in my price range please let me know. |
Your speakers are rated at 4 0hms nominal impedance, which means they probably dip below that and would be a bit of a hard load for the amps you mentioned and most budget tube integrateds. You might consider a hybrid like this Unison Unico Due that has a tube input stage with solid state MOSFET output stage that’d give you some tube magic with solid state power to sufficiently power your speakers. This seller offers 30-day returns if it doesn’t work out, which is nice. |