2. amps-preamps
  3. 167036-159831

Tubes for Magnepan’s.

I think next up on my acquisition list is a tube amplifier. I'm not looking for the be all end all, cause I don’t think there is a definitive "Best", so am looking for as good as I can get for $3-4k.


Because tubes drive speakers so much more efficiently than solid state I am only looking for 40-50 watts to drive my modded Maggie’s, 1.7i's. (Or what you have when you add a new crossover and planer tweeters to 1.7i's.) Maybe 2.7x? I haven’t settled on that yet. And I have some Zu Dirty Weekend's upgraded to the max coming in in 2 months to replace my KEF's.

Anyway, I haven’t had a tube device since my Halicrafter short wave radio, and reviews are not the same as advice from people that own something. There is a Rouge Audio dealer in my area, last I looked, (opps, they no longer carry them), so I may have to go to another market to hear something, or get a try before you buy from a manufacturer or dealer.

You folks have taught me a lot, and I think asking users is the right thing to do on this change in direction.

Thanks in advance.
128x128william53b

Showing 3 responses by vinylzone

vinylzone
288 posts
 
Not with Maggie's, but with Apogee Duetta IIs, I had rebuilt a couple of 80wpc mono Conn Organ amps.  Conventional wisdom was the same at the time, 200w min, high current.  The tube amps sounded great, and pretty much kept up with a Bryston 3B at the levels I would listen.They sounded terrific.  Both had my wife complaining about the levels ;).

I still have them in storage and plan to give them a shot with the Maggie's next fall/winter.

I have found that at times, conventional wisdom impedes progress.
vinylzone
288 posts
 
It would be easier if Magnepan just incorporated copper resistive ribbon into their design. A resistor can be any material that resists flow of electricity by definition, so why not just build it in to give the speaker a higher ohm rating, and so better bass control?
This isn't going to work the way you think.  It's pretty much the same as sticking a 4 ohm resistor in series with your 4 ohm speaker to try and make it 8 ohms.  Not only will you be wasting half your amp's power as heat in the resistor, you'd need one rated for a large amount of watts, typically higher then the wattage your amp is rated for into 8 ohms.
vinylzone
288 posts
 
 Length x diameter x resistance is total resistance
Georg is rolling over in his grave.  There's SO much wrong with that post that I just don't even know where to start. 

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