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Tube amps and heat

I have 2 systems in play. #1 PrimaLuna Dialogue amp with a Mytek Brooklyn DAC using Tidal. # 2 BelCanto Ref 600 Mono's same Mytek and Tidal.  I like the PrimaLuna slightly better. More separation and just the right amount of bass. The Bel Canto is very close but ever so slightly missing something, maybe in clarity separation. Since I live in AZ using the PrimaLuna with 14 tubes is difficult (HEAT). Question --- Is there am amp the will give me the sound of the PrimaLuna tube and not generate as much heat, something like a hybred. Or can I put in the BelCanto system a tube pre amp/hybred and get the tube benefit on that system as well. I've been using the PrimaLuna system during the winter, however we are starting to warm up here. 90+ this weekend and I'm afraid I'll have to shut down the PrimaLuna for 6 months or so. Suggestions anyone. BTW I just tried a Aesthetix Calypso Pre with the Bel's and didn't like the sound. I could live with it, but it's not what I'm looking for.
Thanks

gary
128x128onehole149
perfectpathtech's avatar
perfectpathtech
236 posts
 
Bob Carver has designed around the heat issue. Not sure if he offers a integrated. Sounds like its a big enough issue to at least take a look at.
They say all his new tube amps sound wonderful, I bet they do.  
wig's avatar
wig
1,267 posts
 

I'm in Southern NM with temps as high as 116 degrees during the day and 99 degrees at 11 PM and never noticed any real differences in an overly hot room and this was with SETs and now KT88 amp.

I just love the sound of tubes and would deal with a little sweat if I had too :)


Wig

onehole149's avatar
onehole149 OP
9 posts
 
Thanks guys for the suggestions. I've evaluated everything that has been suggested here. Rhljazz has hit it on the head. Maybe other appliances generate more heat but I doubt it. When you have small room with a 14 tube amp it's like putting a heater in the room. The past few days I've been using the BelCanto's and just maybe I've been concerned for no reason. The Bel Mono's are really close to the Prima Luna. Not quite there but close. In fact with a few tracks on my play list I thought they might be better. For me personally it seems easy to sway my impression of what I'm hearing. I can tell it's, different but sometimes different can be a nice change. Don't get me wrong I can tell if something is crap (for me) but in this case both systems are very nice. I guess I just got used to the Tube sound over the winter. I might still look for a fix, but a air conditioner in the window isn't one of them. As for fans and vents to take the heat away I've looked at that and for my room; not gonna work. Thanks again.
Gary
rhljazz
1,254 posts
 
Btw, I’ve used my VAC amp over a summer (4 Kt 88’s) and it’s tolerable but still not ideal.  The BAT amp with (4 6C33’s) and all class A triode is intolerable.  You can feel a massive heat bubble from 3 feet away.  The tube preamps are no problem for me.
During the winter months the BAT is great.
jsm71
141 posts
 

(most) Tube amps do have issues.  Heat, tube life, tube matching, and the fact that iron core output transformers add a lot of chassis weight and distort the music that you don't realize until its gone.  

Check out Linear Tube Audio, which licenses David Berning's ZOTL design.  I'm running ESL speakers with the ZOTL40 amp, which really puts out more than the rated 40 watts/ch.  At least with my speakers, the speaker/amp handshake is just about perfect.  If needed, it can be bridged as mono for nearly twice the rated output.

The amp weighs less than 10 pounds, tubes last 10-20 years because they aren't run hard or spew a lot of heat.  The sound is so clear and linear you think SS except you are hearing the beauty of the tubes, not the iron transformers.  I run a quad of NOS Mullard XF2 EL34s, hard to beat.

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