2. amps-preamps
  3. 180907-171779

Recommend a good tube power amp in the 100 wpc range for under $4k

Folks, 

 I am looking to bi-amp my Fyne F702 speakers, with a solid state amp for the low end and a tube amp for the mods and highs.  The Fynes are floor standing 2.5 way units with 93 db sensitivity and 100 wpc rms power handling capacity.  My preamp is a Rogue Audio RP-7, and my current solid state power amp is a Benchmark AHB2 at 100 wpc.  My goal is not so much more power but to put a tube amp on the middle and highs.  The Fynes have two sets of binding posts, one for lower frequencies and one for mids and highs.  I am looking to go active bi-amping with a Sublime Acoustic K231 Stereo 3-Way Active Crossover.

  In addition to an amplifier recommendation, what else do I need to consider?  For example, if I buy an amplifier with wattage output similar to the AHB2, what other factors do I need to consider?  Because I do NOT want to modify the speakers in any way, do I need to consider a gain control to match level differences resulting from other factors, such as impedance differences? Or, can I just hook up the crossover between the preamp and the two power amps and enjoy the music, which is what it is really all about anyhow?

 

Many thanks for any and all comments.

mike4597
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charles1dad's avatar
charles1dad
10,236 posts
 

@mike4597

And I have NOT been disappointed, and, at even just first listening, I am far from disappointed. The switch from the Benchmark AHB2–an excellent amplifier—is astounding. The sounds is so much more “musical,” open, airy, “real.” The music seems to have much more “presence.”

I am happy for you.This is what tube amplifiers can do if well implemented. Nice outcome and no need for bi-amping.

Charles

 

downtownberlin's avatar
downtownberlin
19 posts
 

I saw some recommendations of Line Magnetic amps. I don't know how the customer support in the United States is, but my customer journey with the Line Magnetic LM-503PA Mono Vacuum Tube Amps in Vienna is terrible.

Spoiler: Would I recommend buying a Line Magnetic product? Not when you are in Germany or Austria.

In the Summer of 2021, I spent 10k on a pair of Line Magnetic LM-503PA mono vacuum tube amps. This was by far my worst decision in 40 years of buying hi-fi gear.

So far, I have enjoyed listening with the amps for 11 months. But for 5 months, I couldn't enjoy listening with the amps because of defects and ridiculous customer support. As I'm writing this, my Line Magnetic LM-503PA is defective at the distributor for repair for more than four weeks, and Line Magnetic has not even sent the missing spare parts from China to Germany yet. But this is just the tip of the iceberg of my terrible customer experience with a Line Magnetic product.

This is why I wrote a customer report about my journey with the Line Magnetic LM-503PA mono vacuum tube amp. The report is about many customer-unfriendly emails, a dealer who doesn't answers emails at all, the European Line Magnetic distributor holding my amp hostage, and Line Magnetic in China refusing to answer my questions.

https://www.pure-neo.io/writing/my-terrible-customer-journey-with-the-line-magnetic-lm-503pa-mono-vacuum-tube-amps

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