Using digital preamp to tube power amp questions


A while ago I was looking into trying tube amplification in my system and received a lot of good advice here. However, at the time I was using Martin Logan electrostatics and just couldn't get comfortable with issues related mostly to the inordinately high current requirements of these speakers. Recently, though, I bought a pair of Serie Reference 3A monitors which I seriously like and decided to pursue the idea again.

The reason for this post is to seek advice regarding the use of a digital preamp (Peachtree Nova) with a tube based amplifier because of the latitude I have with its large number of digital and analog source inputs. If the benefits of using tubes come primarily from the use of the preamp, I'll not pursue this issue. However, if those of you having experience with a similar setup have had good success I'd appreciate hearing from you. My current setup is this: Shanling CD-S100 CD player - Peachtree Nova as preamp - Behringer UltraCurve DEQ 2496 equalizer- Peachtree 220 amp - Martin Logan Ethos or the Reference 3 A's, depending on which speakers I decide to keep.
broadstone

Showing 2 responses by atmasphere

If you want to use a Single Ended Triode amplifier, you will need a speaker with a lot more efficiency! For best results, whatever the power rating of the SET is, it should not be driven past about 20-15% of that value. For best results.
Tubes can definitely help with that...

Since you are not changing the speakers, my recommendation is to stay away from SETs, since they simply don't make enough power. You will want 30-50 usable watts; in an SET that means about 150 watts total! Not going to happen (unless you are in a small room, in which case a 20 or 30-watt SET might do).

We make amps that would work with that, and there are many others out there that will do nicely too.