2. amps-preamps
  3. 159531-110095

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 5 responses by tomic601

tomic601's avatar
tomic601
13,164 posts
 
Ralph at what cost was a reference to trading one sonic virtue for another. I am elated you have found a truely pistonic set of drivers from 20-33k. Another lap around the Mulberry....at least it is with somebody i deeply respect

perhaps it’s definitional, but i think of breakup as signal going one way, cone or parts of cone going the other way...$600 bucks and a run across the German laser scanner is a truth machine...

best

Jim
tomic601's avatar
tomic601
13,164 posts
 
And it does crack me up when phase accuracy of the amplifier gets mentioned with speakers that start out the impulse test 180 out or with midrange wired out of phase...

it’s a system people :-) 
tomic601's avatar
tomic601
13,164 posts
 
Having said that, I have heard low efficiency speakers driven by several of Ralph’s smaller amplifiers and they sound sublime :-) but certainly not at the SPL you seek.
tomic601's avatar
tomic601
13,164 posts
 
I think Ralph and I have been round the mulberry bush on trading speaker efficiency for distortion - sure you can get higher output but at what cost ? Lightweight cones have breakup modes in the passband, horns ( I own them ) are mechanical multipliers, large baffles same... the astute audiophile just knows which distortion they savor
tomic601's avatar
tomic601
13,164 posts
 
The sound of most but not all tube amps is dominated by the output transformer... yes tube rolling will matter but mostly it’s output which essentially same guys designed your 601 autoformers.... iF you really do like the speakers and the way the sound in your room, work the preamp hard. Definition lost there is gone forever.
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