Ramoneo14,
Congratulations on acquiring your new horn speakers. Your speakers may be efficient and sensitive enough to be adequately driven with a 45 or 2A3 SET amplifier, how sensitive is the speaker?
I’m more familiar with 300b SET amplifiers and fortunately for you there are many High quality choices available. Gwalt mentioned the necessity of a "stiff"power supply and he’s correct. I would add that output transformer quality is a crucial factor. The Border Patrol amplifiers he cited and my Coincident Frankenstein MK II SET are two examples of very high quality 300b amplifiers, there are certainly other fine choices as well.
Do you have a specific budget? Be careful with lower priced SETs, there are good value amps to find as long as corners aren’t cut in regard to power supply and transformer quality. If you exercise some patience and do some reading and research you’ll find a very good match for your speakers. You're on the right pathway, a high quality 300b SET will provide you with superb music reproduction.
Good luck,
Charles, |
Lak,
Yes the Allnic is , another fine choice. In the current market of 300b SET ampliifiers there is an abundance of quality products. |
Ramoneo14,
That question has been debated since the invention of the DHT tubes and is yet to be settled. Each type of DHT has its advocates and detractors. Within the same family you'll hear very distinct differences of individual brands of tubes as well as different amptolifiers due to implementation etc. Want to do some interesting reading? Google 300b vs 2A3 vs 45 which sounds the best. You'll be reading a long time 😁. All can be excellent sounding, I'm a fan of the 300b for its tone,bloom liveliness and naturalness. By no means will I knock the other terrific DHT tubes as it is a personal preference issue. My 300b amplifier took my listening enjoyment to a higher level when I bought it 7 years ago.
Charles, |
Hello Ramoneo14,
If your speakers sensitivity is in the vicinity of 102 db thats very impressive. With a 300b SET amplifier you’d hardly ever get outside of the 1 watt range of power usage. In reality you’d be using only small fractions of 1 watt. Your amplifier is coasting at this power level and the distortion is nearly unmeasurably low as well. Most 300b SETs have 6 to 10 watts of power thus the headroom factor is considerable.
Bradf posted a list of of companies that offer high quality amplifiers with established reputations, also the Allnic and Border Patrol amplifiers mentioned earlier. A few more quality brands are Thoress, Ocellia,Wavelength, Sophia Electric, Audion , Concert Fidelity, there are more. Certainly there are differences between various brands brands and their models.
However what this list has in common is very good quality design, part quality (P. Supplies and output transformer) solid track records. Definitely lots of choices and it takes some time to sort thorough them and gain some degree of familiarity. The 300b SET amplifier niche is very alive and plentiful.
Charles, |
16 ohms speaker impedance is ideal (generally speaking this means easier load for the amplifier to drive). I agree with Jond, on paper this speaker "should " be an excellent match with the vast majority of SET amplifiers. |
Jond,
Now that we know the budget the recommendations can be much more specific. The current available version is the Dynamo MK II and is reported to be noticeably improved. Bigger and better chassis, power supply capacitance and better transformers. Worth the extra 200 dollars over the original version per reviewers. Runs the el 34 single ended for 8 watts.
Charles, |
This is why I inquired about price range in an earlier post as it's a major factor.if your budget is roughly 1500 USD then virtually all of the amplifiers listed earlier will exceed that range by a substantial amount.
The Sean Casper F2a amplifier could very possibly be a good one. The F2a isn't a DHT (directly heated triode) but is a German Siemens Pentode type tube. Shindo used this tube in two of their power amplifiers(Shinhonia and Cortese). This would suggest to me that it's a very good sounding tube. It is reputed to be a very durable and long life tube as well.
I'd try to get in touch with Sean Casper to gain further information on his amplifiers. They’re American made and claim to use good parts and transformers. I believe that it's worth checking out. Any amp much less costly "may"compromise on parts and built quality.
Charles, |
Ramoneo,,
I believe you are beginning to appreciate the fact that a variety of power output tubes are capable of providing a very good sound. As Bobheinatz reiterated both amplifiers he cited have high quality output transformers. Based on his comments the Hedlund is an exceptional speaker that will reveal the quality of an amplifier (which is a good thing).
Are you still considering the Sean Casper F2a or the Dynamo MK II or are you determined to go with the DHT 2A3? You have interesting choices. 😊
Charles, |
Ramoneo14,
You could very well get along fine with a 2A3 SET given the characteristics of your Hedlund speakers. I don’t know how you determined that you prefer the sound signature of the 2A3 without hearing examples of these amplifier. As you’ve discovered there are many choices available in the DHT SET genre.
Somehow you need to find a way to hear a variety of SETs to get some idea of what differences exist among them. You heard the Cary 300b SET and were impressed with it, other brand 300b SETs will have different presentations. It can be somewhat challenging as there are multiple variables to account for.
2000 dollars can get you a good quality used 2A3 SET if you take your time, a similar quality 300b SET will likely cost you more money. I actually believe that the Sean Casper F2a amplifier could be a very good choice.
You asked can the el 34 tubes sound glorious? A talented designer/builder can extract good sound from most any tube. The El 34 isn’t a 300b which I believe is ultimately the better sounding tube (obviously just my opinion). Concerning the Coincident Dynamo several owners have posted their impressions on this site and are quite happy with it.
Charles, |
Hi Gwalt,
I always appreciate your impressions. With a budget of 2000 dollars it would be easier to find a good quality 45 SET compared to the 3000b which are more expensive to produce.
Charles, |
Jond,
This looks like a very good option. I looked at their parts selection list on that site and there are some really good choices offered. You are given an opportunity to upgrade/customize the amplifier to a significant degree if desired. Really nice transformers are available.
Charles, |
Bradf,
Here’s my take, the 2A3 integrated amplifier for1000 dollars is a good value choice from a reputable company. The Triode Lab Signature 2A3 SET for 1900 (4000 dollars retail) is a better long term choice, it has higher quality transformers, capacitors and power supply. This better amplifier would be exploited by the Hedlund speakers. I’d spend more for the higher quality SET.
Charles, |
Hello Brad,
I use the Coincident Statement Line Stage. My system is posted in the virtual system section of audiogon. My system is titled "SET Bliss". |
Bradf,
Thanks for your kind comments. Jond, Yes it is wiser to get the best you can afford the first time, it is definitely cheaper in the long run. I made that decision 7 years ago when I purchased my SET amplifier (Coincident Frankenstein MK II). There's been no second guessing, just pure musical joy.
Charles, |
Ramoneo, ,
Jond is correct, SET amplifiers don't have any special preamplifier requirements, just use one of good quality and you'll be fine.
Brad,
As you'd expect the Coincident siblings are a superb pairing. I've also heard my amplifier with the Atma-Sphere MP-1 and the VAC Signature MK II and they were excellent matches. Brad which coincident amplifier are you interested in?
Charles,
|
Brad,
I decided to finish a section of our basement and make it my music listening space. This allowed me to listen to music àt any time without disturbing other family members. Its been 18 years since we built our home and I'm still enjoying the listening room very much.
If you do purchase the Coincident Frankenstein amplifier one day I believe that you'll be quite happy with their performance. I consider them the heart and soul of my system. They have a special organic breath of life quality.
Charles, |
Hi Jond,
Actually I have plenty of room these days. My kids have graduated from college and have moved on with their careers and life. My wife and I are empty nesters 😊. Life truly does pass by rapidly.
Charles, |
Ramoneo,
Have you made a specific choice of the various available 2A3 SETs? |
Hi Ramoneo,
Congratulations on acquiring the amplifier. I’ve read good comments on the Tubes Audio Labs products over the years. Based on Min’s reputation I assume that the transformers and parts are of good quality. If so you bought a quality SET for quite a good price 😊.
Your intention to try a passive preamplifier makes sense and could be an ideal match, you won’t know unless you try. At some point you can compare it to your VTL and see which one is preferable. You’re definitely putting together a very nice system.
Charles, |
Rvnye,
I've haven't heard the Woo Audio 300b SET but it has a very good reputation for sound quality. I used a Takatsuki pair in my amplifier for 3 years and know their excellence. I'm confident that your Woo would be a wonderful match with the Hedlund speakers.
Charles, |
