tube amp dilemma with electrostats


I am just getting into tubes as i have a dedicated home theatre system but want to get away from that solidstate sound for 2 channel.I currently use the anthem p5 for the 5.1 sound. I want to use my modified shanling cdt100 cd player directly into the tube amp of choice to power my martin logan ascents.This is where the dilemma begins:a friend borrowed me his dynaco 70 to try out and i fell in love with tube sound but the dynaco is a little under powered [35wpc]i think for the logans .He thought that if he brought over his original mcintosh 275 and we tried it out that we would be in awe.Well we both couldn't believe that the dynaco sounder richer and warmer than the mac.We tried changing the tubes from kt88's to the 6550's and that made it a bit better but still not like the dynaco.the sound from the mac paired up with the logans was bright sounding, too close to solidstate.So i am looking for anyone that has had the experiance of a recommendation of a tube amp with the logans. I do not want to buy a number of tube amps before i find one that is a good match.For starting out i would like to spend up to 1500.00 for a used amp.Please give me some recommendations.
Thanks Les
les

Showing 3 responses by jeffreybehr

Well, Les, what you're hearing in the Stereo 70 is its nonflat frequency response and other euphonic colorations. It's far from accurate but very NICE sounding. The Mac sounds more like a SS amp because it's more accurate and neutral than the S.70. If you really love its soft, rich sound, buy 2 of them for 70 Watts per amp. If the 275 was powerful enough, the 2 70s will be too.
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Hmm...I'm not much for 'warm', because that turns into 'thick' VERY quickly for me, but I do prefer a little warmth to absolute tonal neutrality. I suggest a used conrad-johnson Premier Eleven-A. It's rated at 70 Watts per channel into 2, 4, 8, or 16 Ohms. Again, if the Mac 275 had enough power, the Eleven, too, will. Elevens are available for c. $1500 here. I just sold my 2nd or you could buy mine for $1450.

If the Eleven doesn't have quite enough power, you could buy a pair of Twelves ('the same' amp but single channel for 140 Watts into 2, 4, 8, or 16) or merely buy another Eleven and run both in mono. The Twelves show up here occasionally; the Elevens often.

If you have more money than I to spend on this stuff, buy a new Premier 140, which is a current-generation 140WPC stereo amp that EVERYONE loves.

WOW there's one right here--http://cls.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?ampstube&1113954455 . If $4700 is a little much, and BOY do I wish I had it, there's also a pair of Twelves here now--http://cls.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?ampstube&1114028794 , for a few-hundred$ less. Personally, I'd buy the Twelves because I LOVE monoamps, but if you have no unnatural attraction to single-channel amps, the 140 is the better buy, IMO of course.
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I forgot to say earlier that I'm driving a pair of Quad 989s with New Generation-brand 100-Watt tubed monoamps, switched to triode--see my System here. They have maybe 40 Watts in triode, and that's plenty for my fairly large room and my listening preferences.

Good luck in your quest.
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