2. amps-preamps
  3. 185935-166559

I'm going to buy my first tube amp. I need honest blunt opinions

 

 

Recommendations please. I am thinking of dipping my toes in the tube amp water.  For the longest time I have been tempted to buy a modest tube amp to run my Monitor Gold 300’s at 90db.

I’ve been toying around, researching the different characteristics of SET, class A, class AB, B Ultralinear tube amps for months. It’s a bit much. As far as the reviewers go, they are too vague. They are afraid to be upfront honest.

Sources are a Parasound JC 3+, a Innous ZENith Mk3, and a Oppo going to a Benchmark DAC, then all go to a Benchmark LA 4 preamp that will feed the new amp.

My room is 16 x16. The speakers have a 12-foot spread. I sit 14 feet back, so it’s not that big of a room.

I have narrowed it down to four candidates.

A used Canary Audio M90 300B Tube Amp at 24RMS,300B push-pull stereo triode Class A $4,000

A used Jadis Orchestra Black, 40 RMS, Class B $4,000

A 16-year-old, Used Cary Audio Six Pac Monoblock’s, 50 triode watts A/AB $2,000

A new Dynaco by WILL VINCENT 35RMS Ultralinear $2,300

 

marshinski15

Showing 1 response by vinnypiano

vinnypiano
4 posts
 

I jumped to tubes about 18 years ago. and I will never regret it.

Being a professional pianist and having made "live" recordings of great classical and acoustic jazz performers, AND having built and hand built soldered heathkits (component by component) as a teenager music and audiophile enthusiast... there is no more alive a sound than a tube system. Even a low-priced one.  If you listen mostly to loud rock, metal or screaming singers, don't bother with tubes, just get more solid state power per channel.

If you want to hear to finesse in music then you gotta go with tubes.  IF you have a friend or colleague or a hifi store (Do they still exist?), I urge you to acquire the RCA CD of Bartok Concerto for Orchestra with Fritz Reiner and the Chicago Symphony. RCA legendary producers and recording technology innovators! Sit back and listen LISTEN!

 

Personally I use the weytech Sapphire 300B monoblocks, and with their lowly 18 watts RMS (Yes S.E.T. 300B tubes), they rock my world every time I turn them on!

 

The founder and designer passed away last year.  They are difficult to find on the market.

I'm keeping my pair of monoblocks

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