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
Missed that, and worth noting. Depending on what speakers are chosen by the OP, a speaker change could potentially open the door more for a wider selection of sweet sounding tube amps as well - if that's a direction the OP wants to go.
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Buy a Ayon They are far better built , and micro processor controlled , when a tube goes out a led comes on and you just replace that one tube , it monitors each power tube, regular amplifiers all tubes are just averaged. So many more disasters possible blown transformer,resistors . I had a canary and had it rebuilt ,not that great transformers and chokes are the major component in tube amps Ayon use a machined aluminum case , not cheap sheet metal like the others , plus they use teflon Copper tube sockets ,which sonicly make a big difference vs the cheap tinned brass , they use Top quality Lundahl transformers and chokes , I bought two of their products , and yes iowned the above products , Jadis is agood product but doesnot have all the safety features Ayon has. |
As you may know tubes have a wonderful warm sound and some have managed to combine the strengths of both sold state and tubes. I have a pair of Wolcott presence 220 monoblocks considering parting with that combine the benefits of both. Hate to give them up though. They have autobiasing which is a great feature to look for if you’re new to tubes. The amps have recently been completely been retubed and have EL 34 mullard (16) power tubes. I would consider parting with them for $4900. good luck |
