Are Low Power Tube Amps Worth The Troubl

Don't even think about these amps until the speakers of your dreams are in your house and paid for. If they happen to match well with the 3 watt amps like Art Audio etc. it's the way to go but don't buy the amp and then go searching for speakers that will play loud enough for your taste. And also- use the Cary 300b (15watt) mono amps as a reference to test any lower power amps, as it's very hard to get more musical than these and the Cary's will play most average effecient speakers with medium impedences just fine.

Single ended triodes are quite popular these days among certain audiophiles. However, the only SET amp I've heard that sounded good to my ears is the Wyetech Labs Topaz which puts out about 18 watts, plenty for speakers of 88 db sensitivity unless you're a headbanger (in which case SET isn't for you anyway). The Cary's and all the others I've heard do too many horrible things to the frequency extremes to satisfy me, although the midrange is wonderful. I currently use a SE pentode amp at 25 wpc, even though my 103 db sensitive speakers could do with less power. These amps, the MaxLine Trimax monoblocks, don't roll off the highs nor make the bass mushy. But generally speaking and assuming amps with the same architecture, lower powered amps sound better than higher powered ones. Check out the VAC 30/30 as opposed to the 70/70. With appropriate speakers, the 30/30 sound cleaner and more musical. It's just that most folks need the higher power.

Approach SET's with caution. My best advice is a lot like the above posters. Buy the speakers you like first and then see if SET will work. Then try a low powered amp and see what you think.

Stokjoc: I use an Audion Silver Night 300B stereo amp with a pair of Reynaud Twins MKII in a room that is approx. 18' x 23', with very good results. A smaller room would be even better as I have tried this as well. The Audion is not rolled off at the frequency extremes, has very little 2nd order harmonic distortion, has extremely fast transient response and it delivers a real 7.5 watts per channel at reasonable (not outrageous) distortion levels. It is also not adversely effected by 4 ohm loads. Unfortunately though it is a bit pricy ($2700 for the basic model, which I have, with a single Alps volume pot and zero switching capability) and $500 on top of that for the integrated version. An upgraded version is also available for an additional $1K. They do not come up very often on the used market, though I recently did see one for sale. Speakers may come and go in the future as budget allows, but this amp is not going anywhere. I hope to eventually retire it to a spare room (which is smaller) so that I can listen to it while working on the computer, but for now it does full duty in the living room. I personally did not care for many of the SET amps that I auditioned and will suggest that you audition before purchasing one. My complete setup is listed in the "Virtual Systems" section under my moniker (DeKay) in the event that you are curious. If you do not listen to music at headbanger levels, yes, I feel that they are worth considering, but proper system and room matching is a must. I have owned quite a bit of push/pull tube gear in the past but this is the first SET that I have owned and I have no regrets.

Has anyone used the $700 Decware Zen Triode?