2. amps-preamps
  3. 185367-87559

Tube amp recommendations to drive Joseph Audio speakers

Looking for a tube amplifier to drive my Joseph Audio Pulsar 2 Graphene speakers.  Preamp in the system is an Audio Research Reference 2 Mk II, cables are full loom Zavfino.

 

Have been using a Pass XA25, but while detailed and clean, the sound is just a little too yin (lean) for my taste.  Want a little more tonal color, density, and bloom to the sound.

 

Hope to stay around $5K new or used.

 

Thanks!

bobbydd

Showing 1 response by bobbydd

bobbydd OP
99 posts
 

The ARC Ref 2 I'm currently using was a big improvement on the solid state Classe preamp I had been using.  The Ref 2 I've owned for over a decade, it is definitely not lean tonally; if anything, it's slightly on the warm and "tubey" side.

I've inserted an Audio Research VT100 into this system as an experiment.  The VT100 is vintage 1995 or so but has been updated with new caps and a set of KT120 output tubes.  Sounds very good, but has more fan noise than I expected.

So at a crossroads presently.

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