I'm going to buy my first tube amp. I need honest blunt opinions
Recommendations please. I am thinking of dipping my toes in the tube amp water. For the longest time I have been tempted to buy a modest tube amp to run my Monitor Gold 300’s at 90db.
I’ve been toying around, researching the different characteristics of SET, class A, class AB, B Ultralinear tube amps for months. It’s a bit much. As far as the reviewers go, they are too vague. They are afraid to be upfront honest.
Sources are a Parasound JC 3+, a Innous ZENith Mk3, and a Oppo going to a Benchmark DAC, then all go to a Benchmark LA 4 preamp that will feed the new amp.
My room is 16 x16. The speakers have a 12-foot spread. I sit 14 feet back, so it’s not that big of a room.
I have narrowed it down to four candidates.
A used Canary Audio M90 300B Tube Amp at 24RMS,300B push-pull stereo triode Class A $4,000
A used Jadis Orchestra Black, 40 RMS, Class B $4,000
A 16-year-old, Used Cary Audio Six Pac Monoblock’s, 50 triode watts A/AB $2,000
A new Dynaco by WILL VINCENT 35RMS Ultralinear $2,300
@soix +1 @atmasphere +1 I'm using a pair of Atma-Sphere MA-1's to drive a pair 8 ohm 87 db efficient Wilson's with great results, but I'm also using subs to drive every thing from 177 Hz on down. If I wasn't using subs I would want to find the highest impedance speaker that sounded good to me that I could to use with a tube amp. |
I agree with Quicksilver, and I would go for the 100W KT Mono amps, not the Mid-Mono. 90dB is loud, and the Mid Monos would squash dynamics at those levels. I suggest staying away from the Cary amps because getting tubes for these babies requires big $$$, plus they run hot, plus 50W I feel is not sufficient for your purposes and speakers. Just my 2Cents worth. |
Marshinski15, Just realized your speakers are 90db (87db), not your intended listening levels...my bad. I would still go for something with more grunt. Btw, the new KT Monos Mike Sanders offers would be a safer buy than used V4s, Mono 90s, or Silver 60s. Those amps on Audiomart are great amps but are getting a bit long in the tooth, and the price for those V4s is high! |
