My first Tube Amplifier
1st (and last) tube amp was the Music Reference RM-9. I had 2 of them. Had both modified by the mfr to be pentode/triode switchable (a switch mounted next to each of the 8 tube sockets). With EL34s or KT88s, triode was a taste of heaven IMO--at the cost of total output dropping from 100wpc to 50wpc (a price I was willing to pay). My plan was to strap each amp for mono, making each a 100wpc triode amp. That never happened, unfortunately. I still have both amps and all tubes. They've been in storage since 1991. |
I used to help a guy bale hay on his farm. After we finished we’d have a drink and he would turn on some music. He had put together a Heathkit amp and matching tuner, which he played through homemade speakers — ElectroVoice coaxials in big cabinets. The only thing he didn’t build was the Elac Miracord TT. He either gave it to me after one summer or I paid him some nominal amount. It was really a pretty nice setup for a college kid, and loud enough to impress the guys in the frat house one semester. It also had a lot of hiss, which I was constantly trying to lessen by replacing tubes, having no idea which to try first and not realizing it was probably just part of the package. But in the early 70s even 7-Eleven had a tube tester and tubes for sale. I gave it to my brother when I got a job and bought a proper system — Marantz, Advent, AR table. Only tubes since are in my Sphinx integrated amp. I recently was all set to build a small tube amp, but decided that with my limited soldering skills the power supply was more than I cared to risk. So I built a Pass amp camp amp instead. I love the sound of its MOSFETs, and ordered a second to run as mono blocks. People say they have a “tube” sound. |
My your TUBE is ceartinly larger than my Tube ! All ESL jokes aside , I started in 1973 with a Dynaco SCA-35 and a FM-3 tuner . I’ve never supersized my Stereo due to cost . So today in my Mid-Fi world and hot summers , I run a larger amp during the cooler part of the year . As far as all you “ String Pluckers “ go , thanks for adding your amps . There are two groups here , those that still have their old equipment and those that wish they did . Happy Listening , Mike B. |
Hope you understand my english, I am French I have just buying a FX audio, and got it since one month after purchasing it on e-bay I connect it between my Audio research CD 5 and my audio research D 200, I listen most of my CD that I prefer and I think that it sound too thin and it is ideal for guitars tunes as low as possible, for metal (ex) but most of time , listening to jazz (Art Blackey) I though that it is too pitched for trumpets |
If you open the top of the amplifier or look into manual, you can find out what kind of tube is being used. I recommend you to buy Nos(new old stock) tubes around 50$ and change the tubes. If you are not familiar with changing the tube, you had better get the advice from some French audiophile around you. |
My first tube amp was a Soundquest KT 88 integrated amp; it gave me an inexpensive way to get an initial listening experience with tubes and tube rolling. Currently have 3 tube integrated amps - Line Magnetic 518IA (845 tube based) ; Finale Audio 7189 (II) ( 7189/EL84M ) ; Ayon Spirit 2 (KT88); also have 2 tube pre amps - Modwright LS100; and a Herron Audio VTSP 1; and a tube based DAC - Modwright Elysee |
if I recall, luxman 3045 monos or arc d79. had both about same time while in usaf Clark, Philippines, then after really having the bug, tube research labs gt 400s on sound lab a1s. crazy full circle back to McIntosh mc 240s, mz110z, full boat volti khorns. yes I have korners! it always sounds good to me. all had/ have their sweet spot. |
My first tube amplifier was a hybrid: A New York Audio Labs Amp with a combination of tubes an mosfets. It was paired to a New York Audio labs minuet preamplifier. It sounded pretty sweet. It was, however a little noisy. I was powering bose 901’s with it at the time, using a Rega Planar 3 turntable (I forget what type of cartridge) and an NAS Cd player. I did roll some Russian tubes into that setup, but is was so long ago that I don’t remember the details. I eventually replaced it with a (Carver) Sunrise Integrated. My current system is Magnepan 1.7i’s powered by a Aric Audio Transcend Tube preamp (awesome little hand made preamp) and an old Parasound HCA2200 amplifier (ss). I am enjoying this system, but am saving my nickels for a tube amplifier with enough oomph for the Magnepans. I know this is heresy, but I have dispensed with motorized sources entirely and use a Cambridge CXN streamer primarily in conjunction with Tidal, but I sometimes listen to BBC 2. |
http://www.jadis-electronics.com/photos/ja500/45/3/ja500.jpg
Do folks know that this amplifier has a slew rate so low that it can only product a few watts above 10 Khz? The power drop off starts around a few Khz and just keeps falling. Now what happens when you play trumpet music with lots of energy at 10Khz on an amp like this? The transformers are excellent, the construction is excellent but for some reason they limit the drive to the bank of output tubes by using a 12AX7 running one mA or so. |
Brooks Berdan very much liked the Music Reference amps (and he was extremely hard to please), recommending and selling them to his customers. But some of his customers wanted to spend more money (bragging rights? bling?), and Brooks didn't mind taking his 40 points out of a $10,000-$20,000 sale instead of a $2,000-$4,000 one. If more consumers carefully read John Atkinson's test bench reports they would have a much better idea what's going on under the hood of the amps that get reviewed. Amplifier sound quality is determined by many things, but just as a Pop song's ultimate quality is limited by it's chord structure and melody, an amp can not outperform the limitations imposed upon it by it's basic design. Changing the fuse in an amplifier, even if you perceive it to make a difference, is not going to improve the amp's linearity, increase it's power output, or decrease it's instability when driven into clipping. And spending more money on an amp does not necessarily buy one any of those. But you knew that ;-) . |
My first Tube amp was The Fisher 101. Far from the rig that Shkong78 started with. Unfortunately I was
oblivious to tube amplification at that time and had little appreciation for it. My journey took me into solid state for a few years after that until I fell into a Conrad Johnson MV52 with EL34's. A few years later I added a second MV52 which I Bi amped into a pair of B&W P6's. I finally added the CJ Evolution 20 soon after. That was a Tight - sweet package. Tremendous Bass response. Great Resale Value. The sad thing is that I don't even remember what ever happened to The Fisher.... |
My first tube amp was a VTL Stereo 50... great sounding amp but failed several times ... Fortunately that experience, most specifically VTL's horrible customer service, did not turn me off from tubes altogether. I've owned several great tube amps since, my current amps are Quicksilver Mid Monos and they are incredible amps for the money and Quicksilver support is top notch. |
My first tube amp was the audio research vm-220 monos. With 12 tubes each, it started to get warm since I was pushing 40 tubes in my listening room during the California summers. To solve this, I’m reserving the AR vm-220s for the winter (thanksgiving to Easter). I got the aesthetix atlas stereo and was impressed by the lack of feedback and a SS front end, After two months I got the atlas monos that are signature versions to take advantage of superior parts selection. This combo mates with my Aesthetix Callisto pre in a unique way. I’m saving my pennies to get an aesthetix Io for phono for the analog side. I have to admit i’m Lusting after a pair of Cary 40th monos that take 845 tubes, wonderful warmth. |
@mountz You also had monster mono block tube amplifier with 12 tubes each. I had similar experience to your. It was hard to use it during summer time. After going through monster, you now lust for 845 tube. I also have Line Magnetic SET tube amp using 805 which sound wonderful. I heartily recommend you try SET amp which has a magical mid range. |
shkong: I went to a buddy who has the 40th anniversary Cary with 845 and was blown away by the midrange detail, very fluid with a wide open soundstage. I think I am going to try these out, but I worry about my speakers since they are 86 efficient and may need a little cow bell to get real low detail. |
@bdp24 Thanks, it is true that the more expensive amplifiers were pushed harder. As Brooks once said to me. Why should I sell a $5000 amplifier when i can sell a $20,000 one. You only get to sell one! I never wanted to make expensive amplifiers, just fair priced, good sounding ones that don't break. We have 35 year old amps and preamps with original caps still sounding great. You dont need to recap our amps yet! You dont need fancy fuses that don't protect as I have written about the TuningFuses |
Dynaco st-70. I thought I had a killer amp in my Adcom 555, back in the 90's. The Dynaco was bought just to see what the fuse was all about. I loved reading Stereophile mag. At the time. I was hooked. From there I went to Quicksilver, Audio Research ,Cary, Mesa Baron, SET 300B, 2A3, 45. 45 was the best. But I did not like having to use horns to get volume from it. I have settled on El-34 based tube amps of 40-60 watts/channel, in order to use more "conventional" types of speakers. I am back to Quicksilver Audio. They have a touch of SET magic, although they are push pull ultralinear. Mike Sanders is a genius. If I had to go solid state, I can live with Pass Labs amps. |
@ramtubes, Yep Roger, it was those expensive Jadis that my $20,000 price point was referring to. Brooks had them and the almost equally expensive VTL’s in his main room, driving (usually) Wilson speakers. The Jadis are beautiful to look at, have great fit & finish, and those massive transformers! But what is their price buying you, in terms of sound? Why is it a seriously flawed design (your example above) can find favor with some audiophiles? Are they listening with their eyes ;-) ? Or are such matters not what actually determines the sound (or lack thereof) of an amp? If an amp can have such an obvious shortcoming in it’s design, what does that say about the talent of it’s designer? And what other design flaws lie hidden within it’s beautiful exterior? John Atkinson’s reports often reveal them, but audiophiles don’t "believe" in bench test results, thanks to the writings of Harry Pearson and other purely-subjective reviewers. Harry also introduced the disgusting-to-me term of "High End" into perfectionist audio (J. Gordon Holt’s preferred term), leading to the belief that price equals performance. ’Taint necessarily so. |
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I neglected to mention.....Brooks’ tech Tom Carione was in the shop on Wednesdays and Saturdays (and remains so, the shop now run by Brooks’ widow Sheila), and Saturday was my regular visiting day. I can’t tell you how many times I would enter the shop and see Tom at his work bench, a Jadis amp sitting upside down on it, taken apart for repair. Not once did I see a Music Reference amp like that! I also never saw a MR amp on the used product shelves, but lots (and lots) of ARC’s. Tom showed me the scorches around the output tube sockets on the circuit board in all of them. Make of that what you will. |
I started with a Jolida 502 Tube integrated. Now I have an ARC VS115, REF 5 preamp and a TAD-60 EL34 push pull amp. I've dabbled in Class D but find myself right back with tubes. Can't live without tubes in the chain somewhere. I've been a semi professional musician for over 20 years and tubes produce "music" to theses ears. Solid state leaves me cold and uncomfortable over the long haul. |
Don’t want to stray far from this topic but can I get opinions on the best power tubes people like and what is it about their sound quality that makes them sound good to you. I personally like EL34’s because of the way they present detail and resolution in a non aggressive way. My #1 tube is the 300b because it sounds more like music than any other power tube I’ve heard. What are your favorites? |
Like others here, I am of the generation where I thought all of us argued over whether Heathkit, Dynaco or McIntosh was the best. In 1968, when I was 14, I put my money from mowing neighbor’s lawns and shoveling their snow into a Dyna Stereo 70, still considered a classic that -especially with upgraded caps, etc - performs as well as many of today’s amps costing 10 times as much or more. In 1978, I graduated to a pair of Dyna MK III mono blocs. I still own these amps for back up or parties. In 1986, I moved on to a pair of The NY Audiolab version of the Julius Futterman output transformerless monoblocs, The OTL-3. Two years ago, I had Jon Specter, formerly of The NY Audiolabs, convert the OTL-3s from pentode to triode and upgrade all the caps to Jansen foil/oil audio caps. Jon’s cousin, btw, is Al Kooper. |
Shkong78, The OTL3s are almost impossible to come by. I’d be surprised if there were 1,000 pair surviving, most in Japan most likely. I can ask Jon to keep an eye out for a pair, but short of having him build a new pair from scratch, you may be waiting a long while. I believe that Atma-Sphere makes a pair but I am not sure, and I think there is a company in Texas that introduced a model a few years back. I never heard either so I cannot vouch for them. I have heard a recording of Mikis Theodorakis’s “Canto General” that was recorded and mastered by Atma-Sphere: I found it to be a little disappointing from an engineering point of view, sadly so since artistically it competes well with the Farandouri performance. |
A little bit to the side but on the topic of tube amps, especially seeing as a few musicians have brought up guitar amps....I usually have my Event Audio 20/20 speakers being run by my Class D Audio SDS 470-C power amp. Digital audio input via a MOTU 828X. I record and mix via this system as well as do my pleasure listening. Good enough for my ears battered by years of stage volume. The other day I realized that I had never tried playing recorded music through my Mesa Boogie 50/50 6L6 powered stereo power amp. Eventually found the cables I needed , hooked it up and as I had just been listening to "Up From The Skies" from "Axis Bold As Love" by Jimi Hendrix I hit play again and was immediately intrigued. I went back and forth between the 470-C and the 50/50 several times and it was undeniable. There was a clarity to the mid range with the 50/50 that was amazing! Noel Redding is playing a simple two note bass line mostly and I could hear so much more of the attack of each note. It sounded so much more like my bass player was sitting in the studio with his amp. There's a sound that fingers on bass strings make that's unmistakable. Never heard that on the 470-C. Really clear on the 50/50. Now the bass on the 50/50 was crap. No amount of tweakage between the preamp and the amp could keep it from distorting at good listening levels. But that mid range! Such clarity and depth. I'm not an audiophile but I do a lot of critical listening and I'm suddenly wondering what I've been missing without a good tube power amp to drive my monitors. There are a lot of times I'm struggling to hear some difference between components. Not this time. Even my tired old ears could not deny it. So I guess the moral of the story is I'm looking for a decent tube amp to power my monitors now. Are 6L6 tubes just not up to the task or is it just the amp design? |
The venerable 6L6 (late '30s) is an excellent output tube. Limited to about 20-25 watts for a PP pair. Its sound quality is limited to the make of the output transformer. Cheap ones, like in the Mesa Boogie, have problems with bass and high frequencies (hysterisis distortion caused by core saturion at low frequencies and capacitance/phase shift affecting highs). Excellent output transformers can cost a lot (hard to build). Tango (Japan) may be the best! I have seen the Mercury (US) transformers advertised. You might consider buying a pair and using them in your Mesa Boogie as an upgrade! |
@unreceivedogma---OTL’s (primarily and most-famously the Futtermans) came to be considered a good choice for use with the original Quad, primarily because an OTL likes to operate into a high impedance load, and the Quad was/is nominally 16 ohms. The problem was, and remains, that most ESL’s have a wildly-varying impedance curve (the Quad from under a single ohm to maybe 50), and a curve like that creates large variations in loudspeaker frequency response unless the amp has a low output impedance. The Futterman was good in that regard; not all OTL’s are. |
