Tubes?


I have Revel Salon 2 speakers. Sensitivity is about 85 db. and 4 ohms. They are power hungry speakers. Currently, I am driving them with McIntosh 601's and a McIntosh solid state preamp. I was look looking at a pair of McIntosh MC2301. They are tube amps rated at 300 watts into 2 - 8 ohm loads. I listen to all types of music (sometimes at very high levels). I never run out of power with the 601's, but I am very intrigued with tubes. This may be a misconception, but I remember some friends who played guitar saying, tube watts were louder than solid state? Perhaps this is not really true or not true regarding home stereo. Perhaps the best idea is to keep the 601's and get a good tube preamp?                          Thanks, Dave 
tobor007

Showing 6 responses by mozartfan

 I'm more of a mid range and low end guy myself

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I am about to make a  topic on just this subject, ss amps voicing the 3 main frequency ranges vs tubes performance in the 3 frequenct phases.
Should get alot of discussion going on.
I'm busy putting final touches on my upgrades in my entire system,, let me complete, and then I'll start a discussion.
Just saying mids are like 90% of the music we listen to.
I never make a  final judgement on  a  speaker/amp performance  by highs/lows, 
'Always mid frequencies is my concern. 
As was mentioned several times earlier get a tube preamp with octal tubes like the 6sn7, also a tube rectifier. I put a tube preamp in front of my krell amp and it sounds great, it sounded horrible with the solid state preamps
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My guess is most high power ss fans , go with this ideal tube pre amp.
However a  great tube pre ain't cheap.  = has to be clean, no coloring,,I just sold off a  LS9 chinese Jadis clone 12AT7 3 stage,, clean, pure sonics, , no added color to circuit,,,, with Mundorf caps , $750. = steal, but its goneeee
take any 70 watt ss amp vs my Jadis Defy 70 watter,, HA!, shootout at OK Coral,, ss pants shot down  before he even had a chance to make his draw.
recommend 95dB or higher. This alone will solve all your problems as going from 85dB to 95dB drops your power requirement by TEN TIMES! You can go from using all 300 watts and wishing you had more to being happy as a clam with a 30 watt tube amp.


You ideas are pretty much in line with my mine above

Exactly, he will need at least 35 watts to push a  85db speaker. Trans will have to be high performers =< Beefy>

Keep the 95 ravels', and find a 6550/kt88 which delivers 35+ <clean pure true > watts.

I think its good ss fans are finally waking up to the superior musicality of a tube amperage. 
Its suble, but its * The Real Deal*
ss wattage would fatigue my ears in 1 hour of less. 
My tech guy was working on my Defy and lent me his ss Yamaha, not sure which modle,, old unit,,,lol,, wowo, aftera  few seconds , i put it up,, and suffered w/o music a few more days.
<There is not a  ss amp in the world which could meet my musiacl preference /acceptance standards.>
~~could n't resist, I am the #1 basher of ss labs.~~ 


Do not be so concerned with wattage, a  good hefty 50 lb tube amp will drive mosr mid sized low eff(89db/lower) speakers, 
@ 50 lbs, (push pull, not SET), you'll have good trans to push the Revels.So you will need a tube amp that delivers at least 35+ watts. <<True> 35 watts. Not <hyped> watts.

Look for the 6550/KT88 tube as my prefered musical tube.

its numbers then SS. If its music then tubes. It really is that simple.

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well Richard Gray just insalled my new Millennium tweets and new silver wires from navships,,
He suggests the Thrors at 87db are not ideal match for the Jadis Defy7,,
He highly recommends i either swap speakers ot swap amp to ss amplification.
Told him can'yt part with either..
I think what richard is getting at is, the Thros Excel drivers really prefer ss amplification to work their best...
So I may get more dynamics in  the upper midrange frenquencies , but lose some of the tubes musical magic,, always a trade off somewhere.
ss amplification will never ever work for me. 
btw Richard is refering to hi fi solid state,, HA,, ya gonna pay for that. 
Seas, Scan speak offers high sen speakers, but i am a  fan of the Excel line.