Single ended = large images?


I'm thinking about trying single ended amps. Years ago for a short time I had Cary 805b monos. I absolutely loved everything about the sound, except that they made all the images very large... Which for me took away from the realism. 

 

Do all the Cary 805 models do this? Not sure if the 211 option on the anniversary edition might be different? I saw a comment by Dennis had that the large image size was intentional and an artifact of zero feedback. 

 

If that's just the way the cary amps are, are there other brands of relatively high power single-ended amps that might not present images in a large and upfront manner? My main speakers are Verity Audio Parsifal, which are only 89 DB efficient. I also have a six pack of REL G2 subwoofers. I want to preserve as much dynamics as possible while moving to single ended, which is why the cary amps are attractive to me... Meaty transformers and a fair amount of power. My room is 15x29 and I listen moderately loudly but not very loudly. Mix of jazz, blues, rock and classical piano.

 

I appreciate any thoughts and any recommendations of other brands that might do what I'm looking for -- that single ended magic without giant forward images. Pricewise I'm looking in the $4k to $7k range used.

 

Thanks

montaldo

Showing 2 responses by atmasphere

Yes sns I think the "oversized" feeling and the distance perspective are one and the same.

@montaldo The reason this happens has to do with the phase of the 3rd harmonic. It can cause certain sounds to be more forward because it makes them a little louder. Exaggerated effects like this are one reason you want to keep distortion down.

Re: 6C33C tube.   Years ago, I owned these Artemis monoblocks. Depending on the bias setting, the 6C33C tubes lasted somewhere around 2000 hours or so. I used to buy them in bulk @ 20 tubes/order - directly from Russia or Ukraine. Now with the war, the prices have skyrocketed. And they’re no longer manufactured.

@steakster The 6C33 went out of production about 25 years ago and the sole factory demolished so they will never be produced again.