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SET amplifier recommendation

 I have been listening push-pull tube amp for a long time. Finally I'd like to try SET. Seems a lot of people moving from push-pull to SET. My budget is <$3000. Looking at Coincident Dynamo MK III 300B. As there is no dealer for Coincident, i can not try it/hear it. Anyone has this? I'd like to hear your comments. i also looked at Decware, Bottlehead, etc. It seems Dynamo is better. Line Magnetic has some interesting ones. But i am not sure the quality can match Canadian made one. 
    My main speaker is B&W 805. Listening space is less than 400 sq ft. My current push-pull setup is CJ premier 15+CJ premier 17ls2+ Audio Research VT100 MKI. Thank you.
cygnus_859
59 responses Add your response
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jdl57
37 posts
 
@atmasphere Just out curiosity, I plugged the ACA into my 89db efficient Sound Lab electrostatics (the 805 is 88db), and my Vision Acoustics Soloist (air suspension 88db), and yes it will drive the B&Ws, and probably quite well.
ei001h
286 posts
 
+1 mountainsong's suggestion on Mastersound. 

I'm driving a very difficult load Sonus Faber Elipsa 4ohm (88 db effective)
with 30W 845 SET to satisfying levels in my large room without a subwoofer. I'm talking about concert hall levels with no distortion. Check out some videos on youtube with Mastersound driving B&W speakers. Numbers aren't everything. 
atmasphere's avatar
atmasphere
11,794 posts
 
Just out curiosity, I plugged the ACA into my 89db efficient Sound Lab electrostatics (the 805 is 88db), and my Vision Acoustics Soloist (air suspension 88db), and yes it will drive the B&Ws, and probably quite well.
No doubt! But its not enough power on speakers like that unless the intention is to have the music mostly in background or serious listening at lower levels.
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almarg
9,670 posts
 
...  its not enough power on speakers like that unless the intention is to have the music mostly in background or serious listening at lower levels.

I would add to Ralph's comment that the dynamic range of the kinds of recordings that are listened to (i.e., the **difference** in volume between the loudest notes and the softest notes) will dramatically affect how much power is required. For example, many well engineered minimally compressed classical symphonic recordings require **many** thousands of times as much power to reproduce brief dynamic peaks as to reproduce their softest notes. While many and probably most pop and rock recordings are dynamically compressed such that they require no more than around ten times as much power to do likewise.

Regards,
-- Al


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phantom_av's avatar
phantom_av
326 posts
 
I would get a high powered push and pull tube amp on a speaker you're intending to use.

Ultimately an OTL would sound the best on a wide variety of musical genre. OTL would be my first choice as over time SET romantic sound kinds of works best on some musical genre. 

If you're fixated on SET change your speakers to Horns.

kw6
692 posts
 
I agree with others you have wrong speaker for SET!
lewinskih01
909 posts
 
Folks, this thread is from July 2019, and likely OP has decided which way to go already.
@cygnus_859, what did you end up doing and how did it work out for you?

BTW, the passing of almarg in 2020 is yet another very sad aspect of this year. I will miss you around here!
opus111
58 posts
 
I drive a pair of Sonus Faber Electa Amator II (88 dB efficient) with a Cary CAD-301SE amplifier (8 watts/ch).  While the amp is admittedly a bit underpowered the sound is absolutely mesmerizing with the type of music I listen to (chamber, choral, and orchestral).  


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