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SET for Orchestral , Big Band etc.

I've always heard how suited SET amps are for vocals, chamber music, jazz ensembles, etc. And, I listen to this type of music a lot. Which is why I've decided to move to this type of system. However, after reading those opinions, I'm inferring that people are implicitly saying that these amps would NOT do as well for large orchestral or big band jazz music which I also listen to a lot of. Currently, when I listen to a symphonic piece and there is a large crescendo punctuated with a tripple forte accent, I can feel it with a big umpf! It's chilling. Will I hever have that with a SET system? Will I need a small sub-woofer? I thought sub-woofers were not very musical and used largely in HT setups. My new speakers will be much smaller than my current ones due to my small room (approx 11x13). Thanx for your thoughts.
pawlowski6132
onhwy61's avatar
onhwy61
5,145 posts
 
What speakers are you going to get?
raquel
841 posts
 
Provided you have highly efficient speakers with a reasonably high minimum impedence (95 db.+ efficiency and minimum 6 Ohm impedence), a very well built single-ended amp that puts out 15+ watts/channel will generate high sound pressure levels. You will likely not have the bass tightness you want, however, as single-ended amps have little damping (unfortunately, you have to spend a ton of money to get a single-ended tube amp with the kind of output transformers and power supplies that will really control a speaker -- think Wavac or Lamm).

Will such a combination do justice to full-blown orchestral? It will be about as deficient as 99.9% of the standard (non-single ended) high-end stereos out there, meaning that it will sound pretty decent, but poop out when the going gets rough and also obscure the instruments and voices (very few stereos can realistically reproduce eighty people arrayed on a stage, playing instruments together).

Someone is selling a pair of Coincident Total Victory II's right now in the Audiogon classifieds. This is one of only a handful of non-horn type speakers that is full-range and built for low output single-ended tube amps, and will get you about as close to orchestral music with a single-ended amp as anything will (each speaker has eleven drivers -- they can go really loud, cleanly). The Coincidents are very well built, too. Here is the link to the ad:

http://cls.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?spkrfull&1134675623
asonicyouth
120 posts
 
to my ears the 300b is a bit too lush for orchestra, but then again, i own and 845 so i may be biased. to me everythihng is subjective
tomryan
796 posts
 
Depends on design as regards the sound of a 300B amp. But as everyone knows, the speakers must be an easy load - higher and steady impendance (6+ min. without going much over 11-12 ohms), efficient (87db at least), and an easy phase angle through the crossover (which also contributes to impedance). Get these three things in a speaker (plus musicality) and the 300B should put an orchestra in your room. I use a room of almost the same size, 11 x 13.5 x 8, and currently use an Air Tight 300B to damn good effect.
larry510
121 posts
 
hi,

I have a 2a3 amp and 101 db effiecient sspeakers and symphonic pieces for the most part are great. Big Bands are no problem and small jazz groups are glorious. I can play it at 97 db snd still have 10 db of headroom.

Larry
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