Well, my long awaited Tetra 606s arrived yesterday. The big question was if my 9 watts of 300B SET would power them.
The most consistent comments have pointed out that there is truly no replacement for the SET sound. However, comments that struck a nerve made reference to SS and SET being two different paradigms and that the SET sound was like a sonic screwdriver loosing the focus. Not to mention that one really doesn’t know until one tries. My 9 watts with the 92 dB Tetras sounds beautiful with the proviso that the bass is nicely there although not particularly tight and layered and all else is nicely there although not with particular slam.
However, the SET sound is highly musical and organic.
However, other owners of the 606s have commented that they are capable of all mentioned and more. On a good recording of a film screening using the 606s to play to a large audience, I heard only the MGM lion’s roar. Of the many, many times I have experienced the roar, this recording amazingly stood out. The roar was shockingly “real”, textured and layered. The amps used in this screening were the Bel Canto 500 watt monos. I can never forget how the speakers were grabbed by the amps. And this was in a MP4 YouTube!
In my first post I mentioned the Tetra designer’s recommendation of matching the 606s with the Leema Hydra II amp at 148 watts into 8 ohms and 250ish into 4 ohms. The Tetras go down to 6 ohms but are a pretty flat 8 ohms. They also have simple, low part count crossovers with no resistors. And I don’t listen at very high levels.
Although the Tetras go down to 27hz and have a big sound. It is very tempting to now want to listen to realistic sounding orchestras, etc.! All that with slam and headroom. It would be nice to be able to “dance the speakers around the room”. I think I would enjoy being able to crank the volume without it sounding “too loud”. Think I would get all that with a strong SS amp like the Leema. My inclination is to at least try an amp like the Leema and see if I can appreciate the new paradigm!
The most consistent comments have pointed out that there is truly no replacement for the SET sound. However, comments that struck a nerve made reference to SS and SET being two different paradigms and that the SET sound was like a sonic screwdriver loosing the focus. Not to mention that one really doesn’t know until one tries. My 9 watts with the 92 dB Tetras sounds beautiful with the proviso that the bass is nicely there although not particularly tight and layered and all else is nicely there although not with particular slam.
However, the SET sound is highly musical and organic.
However, other owners of the 606s have commented that they are capable of all mentioned and more. On a good recording of a film screening using the 606s to play to a large audience, I heard only the MGM lion’s roar. Of the many, many times I have experienced the roar, this recording amazingly stood out. The roar was shockingly “real”, textured and layered. The amps used in this screening were the Bel Canto 500 watt monos. I can never forget how the speakers were grabbed by the amps. And this was in a MP4 YouTube!
In my first post I mentioned the Tetra designer’s recommendation of matching the 606s with the Leema Hydra II amp at 148 watts into 8 ohms and 250ish into 4 ohms. The Tetras go down to 6 ohms but are a pretty flat 8 ohms. They also have simple, low part count crossovers with no resistors. And I don’t listen at very high levels.
Although the Tetras go down to 27hz and have a big sound. It is very tempting to now want to listen to realistic sounding orchestras, etc.! All that with slam and headroom. It would be nice to be able to “dance the speakers around the room”. I think I would enjoy being able to crank the volume without it sounding “too loud”. Think I would get all that with a strong SS amp like the Leema. My inclination is to at least try an amp like the Leema and see if I can appreciate the new paradigm!