No, someday I would love to listen and perhaps own one of Paul's amps. A little out of my $ league right now. My Atlas is used and I paid about one half of retail. |
Well you have learned a good lesson. The Mac has a very low input impedance and is a very poor match with the Dude. I own the Dude and have been shopping for the best amp to go with it and my Soundlab speakers.
1.) You want an amp with high input impedance. This is very important with the Dude. Most tube amps will work as well as many SS smps with at least 60k ohms or so input impedance. The higher the better.
2.) The Samson amps are wonderful, but they do NOT sound like tube SET amps. They will not sound like your current SET tube amps. I also owned the Samson amps with the Dude and while I loved the two, I would never mistake the Samson sound for tubes.
I have what I consider a perfect amp for the Dude and one that works very well with most speakers. The Aesthetix Atlas hybrid amp is simply wonderful. It has an input impedance of 475K ohms ! It uses the same 6sn7 input tubes. It has a very silky smooth tube sound with lots of power and ease. It would be a fine amp for your speakers.
I suggest tube or solid state amps with 100k ohms or more of input impedance for the very best results. |
What is the input impedance of your Viva amps? Usually tube amps are 100k ohms or so?
I have owned both the Samsons and Mac 402 amps so I know how they differ. The Mac amps sound rather dull and lifeless compared to the Samson amps. I liked the 402, but my point is still accurate. The Samson amps offer improved resolution, detail, imaging and jump factor. The Samson amps also have tighter, more articulate bass. The 402 has a nice big and warm sound. The 402 is like taking a warm bath.
The Samson amps do have the ability to sound intimate like a SET amp, however they don't quite match the body, texture, tone and 3D dimension of a great SET amp. The Samson amps will play music with a greater sense of scale, impact and ease compared to your Viva amps however. |
I am totally smitten by this Atlas amp. It is very refined sounding and reveals the inner detail of music wonderfully. It has the best tone of any high power amp I have heard. It is not at all forward sounding, but rather more nuanced and in control.
You can buy one used for the same price you sell your 402. The 402 is an awesome amp, but the Atlas may very well be the better choice for your speakers and Dude.
Which Dude do you have? The older style or newer style? One or two 6sn7's per side? Thanks |
Bug, that was very nice of you to lend out the Dude. Great to see fellow Aphiles being generous with each other and learning.
Charles1dad, just read your comments on the Dude. Glad you liked it and had a chance to compare the two. I think you would agree that the Dude coming in cold after a long car trip and needing to settle into a new system would need more than one day? I have found that any gear I have purchased always has a settling in time into a new system. Usually at least a weekend.
For example, I just purchased a used Aesthetix Atlas amp and thought it sounded very good after coming in out of the cold and warming up for 6 hours of play. The amp however sounds better and different after settling into my system for the past 3 days. To really hear a component you must live with it over several days. This is a good start and fun for sure!
Also, I read above that you changed a tube (6sn7) in the tube regulated power supply. When this is done the power supply regulator voltage changes. That is why Paul has an adjustment pot in the Dude. You would need to once again dial it in for proper voltage operation and sound. I have personally found NOS tubes can differ from new production in the Dude in terms of potentially throwing off the voltage.
Just a couple of thoughts on this quick comparison. |
The Aesthetix Atlas amp is special and compares very well to the best amps out there. The Dude is much better then the Aesthetix preamps I have heard in my system however. |
Charles1dad, I hope to do just that. The more I "play" with gear the more I realize that total system synergy is very, very important. Perhaps I should just fork out the $$ and get TRL tube amps! I would love to hear your system should the opportunity present itself in the future. |
Well yes, TRL makes tube amps that will drive any speaker, but they cost more then my budget will allow. He makes tube amps that put out up to 400 watts per channel and will drive 2 ohm impedances in the highs.
I have two in college and kids must come before amps :-)
My current Atlas amp is very good however and more then I NEED. |
Charles1dad you are spot on with your last comment. I will also add we Aphiles also change our minds on what we think is "awesome" sounding as time goes by. This is natural and expected. |
Ya, I love the Dude with the Aesthetix Atlas. Best combo yet for me. I don't need all the power of the Atlas, but boy does it sing with the Dude on my speakers!
Tellefsen, the Atlas responds well to tube rolling over stock tubes. You can get more of that SET purity with some CBS
Hydron NOS tubes. Perhaps still not that SET tube sound, but I compared the Atlas to nice set of tube mono block amps last week and preferred the Atlas. I think the Dude mates great with this amp.
Good luck on your system! |
Awesome to hear. Yes, you have a great combination to be sure. Happy for you and enjoy!
If you don't know, Paul makes power cables for the Dude and Samson's that really bring them to life. You may have them already, if not they may be the final step..... A must with TRL gear in my book written with my small brain. |
Yes Agear, some current SS and hybrid amps sound as you describe in your post. I like Electrocompaniet and my current Aesethix Atlas hybrid amp.
However, remember that these high achieving SS amps will not always sound this way on ALL speakers and in ALL set-ups. On certain speakers they will and on others perhaps not. More to the point is this, what I consider beautiful sounding another will deem boring or dull. The "blows another amp away" feeling is based soley on what we like/prefer as individuals.
I do not think any SS amp sounds like a SET amp however. Some will prefer the sound of well done SS amps with certain speakers, but SS amps don't sound like SET tube amps.
I like the original poster's idea of changing amps to fit his mood. Pull out the Mac 402 when he wants a big, bold, dynamic, loud and warmish sound. Fire up those lovely Viva amps for an intimate musical experience. I can sooooo relate! |
The Duelund caps are the coupling caps. I also put these in and Pat and I are amazed at the sound. Keep in mind they cost $400 for the set of 2. We purchased the 3.3 uf value. They are first rate caps and very expensive.
They replace the small caps located towards the front of the Dude. The ones laying on their side. Your's are most likely white MIT caps.
Improvement can be heard in all area. Yes, all areas. Not a slight difference, but rather obvious. More of the Dudeness comes out. More of everything you love about the Dude. It does not change the character of the Dude at all. Just more dynamic, more extended bass and highs, improved air and tone, bigger stage etc....
One other thing I must tell Dude owners. Tube rolling is another place to really have fun with. Not just the 6sn7's , but the 6080 and OD3 in the power supply. I purchased NOS tubes for these positions from Andy at Vintage Tube Services and wow was the improvement nice. He selected nice RCA tubes for me that test perfectly.
The combined impact of the tubes and Duelund caps is amazing and a must for Dude owners. I also use 1940 RCA 6sn7 tubes from Andy.
While I am at it. Get Paul's power cord on the Dude. When you do these things your Dude will be in the best shape of its life and will treat you to tunes delivering unsurpassed joy and smiles. Really! |
One more thing I really need to add. Paul has a great ear and uses coupling caps in the Dude that are neutral sounding and of high quality. Understand I am a budding DIY guy and have modified amps, speakers etc... I enjoy it and am learning. Paul knows more about sound and electronics in one hair on his head then I do.
I rolled a bunch coupling caps in the Dude and the Duelund Alexander caps are the only ones i liked better then Paul's stock caps. This is my preference folks. I do believe they improved the sound in all the ways I mention. In my system, room, and my ears. |
Direct coupled with transformers is one way to go, but according to the builder of the Dude it has sonic disadvantages - and certainly in his design. Most amps have ample input impedance and only a few can cause some rolling off at the extremes. A Dude owner has his Dude mated with a Pass Labs 350.5 and loves the combo. That amp has an input impedance of 25k ohms I believe.
One can never underestimate the power of system matching regardless of how the piece was designed. |
...or like most of us gets tangled up in the tech talk lingo of the day. |
No, it is an impedance mismatch having nothing to do with single vs balanced connections. If the Burson is really transparent, then it may be a great solution. I guess I doubt the Burson is not changing the sound? I do know for sure as I have not tried one before. |
