Analogluvr, you are not the only one who has had transformer failure on Sophia amps. There are many more, just check out on Google. Sophia is not very ethical in the way they hide their flaws. |
I own yorkminsters and have the sophia 845. Sounds beautiful together and has loads of power. Goes nice and deep with much more character than ss bass. I also built a pair of 300b that I run as well. They also sound good but feel like they are working on complex passages. They also don't dig as deep. 845 is the way to go in my opinion. And I woundnt go anything but set after getting used to the mids. I also highly doubt that melody845 beat out a 20k pair of Sophia's. Maybe in reliability :) I have had issues with transformer failure on my Sophia's but I was informed that I was the only one. |
Wylmars
I wouldn't describe it as " something missing " . I just think that the Sophia Electric 300B amplifiers offer a richer, fuller sound that has zero mechanical artifacts. Very natural sounding. I found the mono blocks that were reviewed to provide plenty of power for all kinds of music in a large room with 10 foot ceilings. Read the review that I mentioned.
Best
Jim
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Morganc ... I'm not familiar with the Melody M845 or the Coincident Frankensteins. I will go do some home work. Thank you for the recommendations. |
If you are looking for a good 845, I would recommend the Melody M845 monoblocks. There is not much info on them online, but with the right tube combination they can beat out the Sophia Electric 845 and are much more reliable. Bass is by far the best I have ever had and you also get all the magic that SET amps are known for. Recently I was able to demo a pair of the Melody's next to another well known 845 ($14,000 Audion Black Shadows) and it held its own remarkably well.
If you want to go the 300b route, then the Coincident Frankensteins or Wavelength should be at the top of your list.
If you don't mind a little noise, the Joule Electra Monoblocks are also stunning and the headroom, dynamics, and magic are there, but you have to get over the hissing of the amp. |
I am using Mcintosh 2301 300w monoblocks with my TW and I love it. |
Sounds Real Audio ... Could you help me understand what you thought was missing with 6C33 tubes? As I mentioned, I "ampless" at the moment, retired and must be very prudent with my spending. And if you have compared 300B versus 845, would you mind sharing your thoughts regarding those two tube varities? Incidentally, the Tannoy Westminster Royal SE are 99db horns, which I believe is an important factor in my making a good decision ... |
The review I was speaking about in Positive feedback discusses the Sophia Electric 300B's being used with the Royal's. These are the little mono blocks. I am sure their 845's sound considerably better.
Not a big fan of the 6C33 tubes, having hear them in a number of very expensive amplifiers, I would think you would be more then happy with the 845 and plenty of power. |
Well, the ML2.1 has a very robust output stage. Output power is only one data, the internal design is normally a total different chapter.
Another superior sounding amp is the old Pass Aleph Design, Aleph 0 monos for example. Or, when you prefer the unique superior sound from Lamm amps with more power, a super choice is Lamm 1.2Reference. Most high powered Transistor amps have a real problem to sound good in their first few watts, the M1.2R is linear from scratch up.
And, all of the above are super reliable... :-) |
Has anyone tried the Almarro A340a mono block power amplifiers with the Tannoy Westminster Royal SE speakers? I find that the Almarros are excellent with these speakers producing good, deep bass, glorious midrange and extended, sweet highs. These are well built amplifiers at a very reasonable price(around $5K for the pair)and they do not break down. Tubes used per mono block are two 6C33C, one 5687 and one 6DJ8, all very inexpensive tubes when you compare them to 300B and 845 tubes. All four of these tubes cost less than one good 300B. The amplifiers have a power output of 40 Watts, and they are push-pull mono power amps, operating in class A. The best part for me is that they come with a couple of rotary switches that allow you to adjust Negative Feedback and Damping Factor in 36 different ways. They also have a volume control. The only potential problem with them is that they have a cooling fan in the back that could produce some unwanted noise for some listeners. They do not bother me since I can't hear them when the units are operating. Another problem with these amps is that they are not easy to find. I ordered mine and had to wait two months for them to be built in Japan and shipped to me. Hope this helps. |
These are very interesting and helpful discussion points. I'm a bit surprised that the LAMM2.1 apparently performs so well. The only other amp I'm considering (read: forgot to include in my initial question) is the Sophia Electric 845, which has slightly more power than the LAMM2.1, but less than the Wavac and Viva Aurora T. |
JA wrote in his measurement side bar to Art Dudley's review (October 2004) "Note that the Lamm's low-frequency response is commendably flat down to the 10Hz limit of these graphs".
I am not surprised by the observation above by Syntax.
Regards,
|
Easily. The bass from ML21 has "body" and a holographic power. This you will never find with any Transistor Amp.
LSC-2341 Saint-Saens Symphony No. 3 In C Minor, Op. 78 ~ Boston Symphony Orchestra, Munch: When I play that record the windows in my room start to vibrate ... |
Did you find them producing the deepest bass as well as more powerful amps? Did you try anything with a lot more power, and if so, did you find that the Lamm went as low? |
I want to thank all of you for responding. I think I would find it difficult to find these three selections to audition. I forgot to ask about the Sophia Electric 845 with the Tannoy Westminster. Does anyone have any experience with the SE monoblocks? As I mentioned, I am ampless at the moment and want to do diligence before I commit to new amplification. |
I am sure they will drive them well and make them go plenty loud. However, my concern, without trying them, is that they might not control that woofer to get the last octave and to really play the bass with dynamics and tightness. This has been my experience with amps of that power level with this speaker, including SETs. |
I've heard the Yorkminster, Canterbury, Westminster, and Kingdom Royals in my own home for extended periods of time, all with the Lamm ML2.1 amps and they all sounded great. It's a very good match. |
I don't think there's a bad choice in the lot but Jim Smith (everyone knows who Jim is by now, right?) would tell you to go with the Auroras. He's using Canterburys at this time. |
Your idea sounds interesting and worth trial if you have such possibility. |
The Lamm ML2.1 will drive them easily. |
Interesting review on positive feedback regarding amps for the Royal SE's
positive-feedback.com/Issue53/sophia300b.htm |
