Absolutely nothing. Very nice. Had I not already purchased my P4's I would have seriously considered them.
Tube amp mono block recomendations
Hello,
I am looking for recommendations up to $5000.00 mostly on the used market. My listening is moderate volume, Blues, 70’s rock, some Mainstream Jazz.
I like a little forward brighter sound due to some hearing loss in the Mid frequencies.
My system is currently:
Audio Note M3 Line pre tube
Audio Note 3.1 DAC tube
Linn LP12 with AN / Rega arm
Fisher sa16 amp tube.
Speakers:
Audio Note AN K spe
Snell type E
Tannoy MG’s
My tendency is to go with Audio Note to complete the synergy but would like recommendations for something else. I am not very experienced with the sound characteristics of various Tube amps.
Thanks
I am looking for recommendations up to $5000.00 mostly on the used market. My listening is moderate volume, Blues, 70’s rock, some Mainstream Jazz.
I like a little forward brighter sound due to some hearing loss in the Mid frequencies.
My system is currently:
Audio Note M3 Line pre tube
Audio Note 3.1 DAC tube
Linn LP12 with AN / Rega arm
Fisher sa16 amp tube.
Speakers:
Audio Note AN K spe
Snell type E
Tannoy MG’s
My tendency is to go with Audio Note to complete the synergy but would like recommendations for something else. I am not very experienced with the sound characteristics of various Tube amps.
Thanks
20 responses Add your response
What's wrong with these? https://www.audiogon.com/listings/lis9iejh-audio-note-kits-interstage-monoblock-pse-300b-tube Or a pair of Manley Snappers. Good luck. |
Update... I have purchased a set of UK Audio Note P4 Mono blocks and upgraded my M3 preamp with the M6 model. They were local which was a nice bonus. I have since sold my ANK’s and put the Tannoy MG’s on the first line. The MG’s are 92.5 db by the way. The P4’s are 300b’s and 18 watts p/chan. It all sounds wonderful. Thanks to all who contributed to the thread. Cheers |
A used Atma S30 is 30wpc, which should be good for the Snell and Audio Note ( I can't find any specs on the Tannoy), and should be in your budget. To be honest, a room that large would benefit having a high powered amp-I always err on the overkill side as I hate pushing a small amp too hard. If I recall correctly, Atma Sphere offers kits, though that might have changed. Bob |
Any thoughts or experiences with the ANK kits. The 300b mono blocks can be had in my price range including the C core Interstage models. A single 300b is only good for about 7 watts. Your speakers need considerably more power than that. What are the dimensions of your room? Is it lively or absorptive? |
You should be able to find some used Rogue Audio M-180 monoblocks well under your budget (they are $6500 new). I have them in my main system. They are detailed and dynamic and fairly neutral. I wouldn't classify them as "bright", they are in many ways closer to a good solid state amp (great bass control, neutral, quiet) than they are to some of the warmer, syrupy tube amps out there. |
Our M-60s work very nicely with the Audio Notes. IME it is helpful to give them a bit of power- while they are easy to drive and a benign impedance for tube amps, I would characterize their efficiency as 'moderate'; about 90 or so dB. So in most rooms 60 watts is a good minimum amount of power. For this reason unless you are nearfield in a smaller environment I would not recommend a 7 watt amp on this speaker- it simply won't be enough power. The Tannoys are very nice but here again its helpful to give them a bit of power. Of course this is true of the Snells as well. IMO/IME if you are planning a tube amp, 60 watts should be your minimum target power, but a lot depends your room and listening habits. |
I've heard some nice demos with Audio Note, but for your music preferences and the Tannoy speakers I'd suggest at least auditioning Manley amps. They offer some of the best bass among tube amps and are a known match with Tannoys. The Snappers meet your price point when used. No reason they wouldn't work well with your other speakers too. |