Charles I know what you mean it does fly by, so if I get fired and my GF kicks me out I will definitely be over thanks. :-)
Need amp suggestions for Hedlund Horns....
A few months ago, I heard a Cary 300b amp hooked up to some small monitors and was blown away... so the itch to upgrade started.
I just bought used a pair of Hedlund horns... came with it (free) was a diy homemade tube amp that does not sound adequate (based on what I heard these horns can do).
I’m in the market for a used amp that would be the ideal match for these Hedlunds. From what I read, I have several options such as 300b, 2A3, etc. but what would you recommend? I've never had a low-power SET amp before.
My room is 25’x 30’ with vaulted ceilings (large enough), wood floors, fairly open. I listen to everything from classic jazz, horns, classical, vocals, and the occasional rock. I would love to have some volume to feel the energy and texture of the song.
I just bought used a pair of Hedlund horns... came with it (free) was a diy homemade tube amp that does not sound adequate (based on what I heard these horns can do).
I’m in the market for a used amp that would be the ideal match for these Hedlunds. From what I read, I have several options such as 300b, 2A3, etc. but what would you recommend? I've never had a low-power SET amp before.
My room is 25’x 30’ with vaulted ceilings (large enough), wood floors, fairly open. I listen to everything from classic jazz, horns, classical, vocals, and the occasional rock. I would love to have some volume to feel the energy and texture of the song.
Showing 11 responses by jond
I would certainly also recommend Deja Vu Audio, fantastic single ended amps using a mix of new and vintage parts, talk to Vu he's incredibly knowledgeable about amp/speaker matching and horns in particular. No affiliation just a very satisfied customer. http://dejavu-audio.com/index.html |
From what I could find online looks like your driver is over 100db efficiency and 16 ohms impedance so you should be able to drive it with virtually any good single ended amp even down to 1 watt or so. A stiff power supply means the power supply is robust and typically way over spec for the amp in question. |
This might fit the bill for you and your budget no affiliation I know Charles and many other love Coincident gear. https://www.audiogon.com/listings/tube-coincident-dynamo-34se-2016-09-20-amplifiers-11373-jackson-he... |
It's going to be hard to find a good 2a3 amp near $1K but here is a good looking used version for $1900 it's $4K new and the "little brother" of the Triode Labs amp in the 6moons review above: https://www.audiogon.com/listings/tube-triode-lab-2a3-signature-amp-2016-09-06-amplifiers-80816-flor... Regarding the EL34 tube to me it combines some of the richness of the 300B with a bit more linearity and frequency range but less bloom and perhaps a touch less transparency. As always implementation means as much or more than tube type. |
@gwalt Min at Tube Audio Labs is building Korneff45 clones not sure who else is building them. http://www.tubeaudiolab.com/id254.html |
I have to agree with Charles better to spend more money now and get it right trust me its cheaper in the long run (speaking from experience). Transformer quality doesn't come cheap and makes a huge difference with SET amps, PP amps to for that matter. I can't imagine what my own amp would sound like without its huge overspec'd 60s vintage transformer. That Triode Lab Sig 2a3 for $1900 looks like the real deal, a well executed amp that uses high quality parts. |
@ramoneo14 awesome news congrats on the new amp! And what a great deal at that price I would've bought it and I love my amp! Let us know how it sounds when it gets there. I don't know a ton about passives but this looks like a pretty good unit. https://www.audiogon.com/listings/solid-state-luminous-audio-axiom-2-passive-preamplifier-walker-mod... But of course see how your VTL works first, the most affordable gear is what you already own! Happy listening! |