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

 

marshinski15

@paulcreed I haven’t read every post but the op decided not to buy an amp. He’s going to buy speakers.

 

Missed that, and worth noting. Depending on what speakers are chosen by the OP, a speaker change could potentially open the door more for a wider selection of sweet sounding tube amps as well - if that's a direction the OP wants to go. 

 

 

Life is short, a speaker change is hard when you like the sound of your beloved speakers. I know all too well, and need a speaker change in order to do tubes right. then I will get a tube preamp. I have  a great sounding older mosfet SS amp 

Buy a Ayon   They are far better built , and micro processor controlled , when a tube goes out a led comes on and you just replace that one tube , 

it monitors each power tube, 

regular amplifiers all tubes are just averaged. So many more disasters possible 

blown transformer,resistors . I had a canary and had it rebuilt ,not that great  

transformers and chokes are the major component  in tube amps 

Ayon use a machined aluminum case , not cheap sheet metal like the others ,

plus they use teflon Copper tube sockets ,which sonicly make a big difference vs the cheap tinned brass , they use Top quality Lundahl  transformers and chokes ,

I bought two of their products , and yes iowned the above products , Jadis is agood product but doesnot have all the safety features Ayon has.

As you may know tubes have a wonderful warm sound and some have managed to combine the strengths of both sold state and tubes.  I have a pair of Wolcott presence 220 monoblocks considering parting with that combine the benefits of both.  Hate to give them up though.  They have autobiasing which is a great feature to look for if you’re new to tubes.  The amps have recently been completely been retubed and have EL 34 mullard (16) power tubes.  I would consider parting with them for $4900. 
 

good luck