New Member And few questions on First Tube Amp.


Little about me.I am 67 and more into cars /cycles but enjoy music during winter months.
I have Tinnitus very bad and so I can not play music much over 70 db with high pitch horns ect.
But I have Marantz SR 8002 and had until last week Mirage M-5's. 28 yrs and did not realize how deteriorated
they become until someone sold a pair of Definitive Techogoly BP 8080ST and I could not beleive what I was missing
on sound.. All along thought it was my hearing..So now that I can hear music separation along with my ringing 
it is a joy to hear more than I thought I would ever hear again.
So with that I want to just see if a tube amp will allow me to hear music flow from the speakers as others describe.

So not knowing anything I have a dealer not to far selling Prima Luna tubes and my question is I see tube amp and pre tube amp.. To try a tube amp can you run from just one of these components ??
Does Prima Luna have a all in one unit if I need a amp and pre amp ???

I do not mind spending few thousand, but not sure how long my hearing will last  and so just want to 
purchase low end just to see if I can hear a difference of tube vs solid state...thank you Joe

harleyujoe

Showing 2 responses by lou_setriodes

The Marantz is pretty high powered, you'll need to look at a KT88 or 6550 PP tube amp.  If you look at Roger Modjeski's comments from his thread "ask an amp designer a question" I dont think he was so keen on Prima Luna's products.  If you got a couple grand to play with a Music Reference RM9 or Berning EA2100 would smoke a Prima Luna any day of the week, but even easier to find would be a Moscode 300 or 600.  I'd personally take any of the above mentioned over a Prima Luna.  I'd also consider a Jolida, Antique Sound Labs, Audio Space or Cayin int tube amp.
Most of my sources don't have a remote so that's not a big issue for me.  The Cayins are excellent.

Just saw this one in the DC area:
https://washingtondc.craigslist.org/mld/ele/d/silver-spring-cayin-88t-integrated-tube/6805903082.htm... and actually heard this one with EL34's or 6L6 tubes in it and it sounded great!  It also has a remote.

Didnt see any info on the 734b, only the 734a and its got huge iron on it, which is the heart of any tube amp, and most important part of a tube amp.  I'd take a Cayin any day over Prima Luna.

The 40 wpc will sound like double that