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
pfreix's avatar
pfreix
18 posts
 

I have the Primaluna EVO 400 amp but you should look at this listing of Rogue Audio M-180 mono blocks I have for sale... they are much better than the Primaluna.  I just need to sell the Rogues to raise some funds for some new equipment.  They sound incredible and have 180W of power! 

Rogue Audio M-180 Dark Special Edition Mon... For Sale | Audiogon

 

ghdprentice
6,425 posts
 

My blunt response is: I have owned cutting edge high level Pass amps for nearly 40 years… switch to tubes… I am an Audio research fan… used works.

jhills
610 posts
 

I'm in agreement with soix, atmosphere and others. With the Monitor Gold 300s, for sure, it wouldn't be good to match with a SET amp or even a low to mid powered ultra-linear tube amp

If looking for the romance, and warmth of tubes (as nice of a pre that the Benchmark is) you might consider going to a tubed pre matched with a smooth 100W+ SS power amp.

While the tubes in a pre. tend to hold up and last a long time even when driving 4 ohm speakers, the tubes in mid to low powered power amps, not so well. 

I loved the sound of of tubes with my Maggies, but have gone through two sets of KT-120 tubes in the past 2 years, not to mention the trouble of replacing fuses and resistors.

I went back to my old reliable Audible Illusions tubed pre, driving a 200/400 watt SS power amp and am most happy.

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