i am wondering how many folks here own more than one amp. I own a couple of amps...a tube mono block ( Jadis) and a stereo ss Jeff Rowland model 8t ( modded). These two amps give me what I consider to be the best of ss and tubes. i do NOT use the amps in the system at the same time. As such, the system requires two sets of speaker cables and two sets of ic cables. I can run two amps off my preamp. Anyone else have the option of two amps..if so, what are they and why do you run multiples.
I have 3 pairs of monoblock amps: Emotive Audio Vita amps (push pull KT-120), DIY 46 single ended, and DIY push pull 6L6. They all sound good although quite different from each other. I tend to swap one set out for another every few weeks.
In my main system I rotate between 3 amps every 2 weeks ; enjoy each and , as daveyf suggested, the different flavors. Modwright LS100 tube preamp/ KWA100SE solid state power amp; Line Magnetic 518IA tube integrated; Finale Audio 7189 MK2 tube integrated.
In my 2 second system I use an Ayon Spirit 2 tube integrated. Occasionally I'll run it as a power amp with a Herron Audio VTSP 1 tube preamp. Headphone system Ray Samuels The Raptor headphone amp
I have, and use nearly every day, five amps, three of which are Class D for home theater use, one SET 300B, (my favorite amp) and an SET 845 I'm still debating the merits of.
I've owned multiple amps before, but found I typically just used my favorite of the amps owned at any given time. I still flirt with the idea of adding a solid state amp to the mix to get a different flavor vs. tubes. Too many home improvements to make in the next few years to spend money on audio, so it will have to wait... although I have tried three different varieties of power tubes (EL34, KT77 and KT88's) with my Music Reference RM9 MKII, and am tempted to try GE 6550's.
Well, let's see there's the amp in my iPod, MacBook Pro, Macbook Air, wife's cell phone, Comcast cable box, Herron phono stage, my cell phone, oh and six more around the house, then there's the Melody I use, the Aronov that's busted but can't bring myself to throw away, and the whatever it is in the living room. Oh! Almost forgot! The CD player has an amp, DVD ditto, and the tuner as well- so 18. Wow!
Oh crap! Almost forgot the cars! Make it an even 20!
I have only low-powered tube amps these days. I have a pushpull 45 amp that probably does around 3 watts, a parallel single-ended 2a3 amp that is rated at 6.5 watts (I believe), and a pushpull 349 amp that is good for around 5 watts. The 349 amp is what I am currently running. The parallel SET 2a3 amp is the only "regular" commercial model (Audio Note Kageki).
Like I said I have the best one for the job, that doesn’t mean I didn’t try any before settling on that amp, but always "end up with the one" Just like my dac's I have a few but there is still "the one"
George, you might be surprised that another amp would give you a different ’flavor’ which you might equally like as much as your ’best to do the job’. IME, there are several different variations on a theme ( ss vs tube,Class A, Class AB, Class D etc, high power vs low power etc) ...and several of those variations can be extremely enjoyable. Try it, you might like it.
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