Spectron vs any good tube amp.

Hi Orpheus10,
If Teajay`s impression is accurate then It would`nt be for me either. If a component sounds artificial rather than 'natural/organic' it has no real value IMO. Why don`t you listen to one(if possible) and confirm or disagree based on your own experienced ears?
Regards,

Hi Orpheus10,
You`re preaching to the choir(look at my system LOL!).It`s just that nothing beats your own audition when possible to do so. Personally SET tube amps are it for me,unsurpassed realism with my jazz music(they`re in the room or i`m in the club or studio).
Regards,

"I listen for the soul of the music"
Amen brother. Orpheus10,I believe you`d really love a good 300b SET amplifier my friend.

Orpheus,
A good 300b SET amp can handle an 8 ohm load(even 4 ohm if it stays relatively flat).There`re so many 300b amps available and the quality-performance spectrum is very wide.The key is selecting one with top quality transformers and also a 'stout power supply'. There`re plenty of upper quality built SET amps to choose from.
My speakers are 94 db efficient and the amp just seems to coast with them. My room is 25x14x8 and opens(no wall) into a 26x18 room. I listen to jazz(a whole lot!) big band and increasingly more classical music. Generally my listening levels are 75-83 db and 10 feet from the speakers. At those levels the amp is using perhaps 1/10 of a watt. so there`s much headroom available.
Best Regards,

Mike ,
Hello, It always come down to individual preference and listening levels. Not everyone wants or seeks very loud levels or peaks of 100db or more to enjoy their music. Cubic volume of the room is a factor(that`s why I listed my room size). With reasonably normal hearing and a good resolving system I believe low 70s-low 80s db is plenty loud,comfortable and 'safe' long term for your ears. These levels still allow headroom for louder musical peaks in maintaining music`s ebb and flow.

For jazz and classical you don`t have to blast the music to enjoy it. If your interest is pop,rock,electronic,hip-hop etc. at very loud levels then of course you`ll want(and require) more power. Really high volume levels/peaks IMO are too risky to one`s ears, but that`s obviously a personal decision.

My point to Orpheus is that under reasonable conditions he should be fine with a high quality 300b SET amp that usally provide 8-10 watts of power. If he wants 105-110 db peaks he`ll want a different amp.I have on a few occasions listen at 95-100 db and the sound was unsressed and very clear but I would`nt do this on a regular basis. Of course I don`t know what Orpheus`s preferences are.
Regards,

Atmasphere,
The reason I don`t listen at what I consider to be loud volumes is due to potentially harming my hearing. Sadly I`ve treated/examined 'young patients' who have suffered permament hearing loss due to chronic loud noise/ sounds be it music,ocupational etc. It`s no coincident that many professional musicians do unfortunately develop diminished hearing as a result of their profession. My hearing is still very good and I won`t purposely jepardize it.Music does`nt have to be'loud' in order to connect and become involved emotionally.(IMO).

As I said in my earlier post, this is a personal choice.
Even at live venues with unamplified music it can get too loud(no PA system in use) at times. Our ears detect loudness in nature for a reason and in many instances are`nt related to electronic distortion at all.

A crying/screaming baby, irate,aggresive shouting people nearby or how about a thunder clap or loudly barking dogs?? All are just a few examples(non electronic) of our ear`s protective and survival mechanisms at work.In my case SET amplifiers provide stunning realism without the need to 'crank it up'.
No thanks I`ll take a pass on loud music. When your ears warn too loud I pay attetion. YMMV.
Best Regards,

Mike there is no misunderstanding, your example of a piano reaching 109 db peaks at 10 feet means nothing in most listening enviroments. I have a piano in my living room and when played its volume can obviously be controlled(and is) by the player. most of the time the volume ranges in the 80s db level as to keep it comfortable for the surounding listeners in the room. Just because an instrument is'capable' of a certain max level does`nt compel the musician to play at that level. At church services,weddings school recitals etc. instruments are often played well below their maximum levels. When played at more subduded levels people seem to still enjoy these live performances immensely.When I practice scales on my trumpetI play at levels that are much below what the horn is capable of, what is the point of 'blasting' the sound level? live instruments sound quite beautiful even when played softly and at moderate levels.

I personally don`t except the notion that your home audio system has to match'peak' levels such as "109" db to sound realistic.That level of sound pressure is dangerous to our ears if done with any regularity.Why rely on atmasphere to 'tell' you what a SET amp(which one? there are many) sounds like, experience it yourself if you really want to know.

In reality we all attempt to achive what we want. If it`s your goal to reproduce that high db level, more power to you. We just simply have different priorities.Much of music`s beauty and soul is subtle and nuanced a good system should be able to communicate these emotional aspects.

Atmasphere,
SET is definitely the way to go.It`s providing superb sound and certainly the most realism and natural sound I`ve heard so far from an amplifier. I hope Orpheus is able to experience one and form his own impresssion.
Regards,