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Gear / Technical Help => Playback Forum => Topic started by: Craig T on November 07, 2003, 09:10:40 AM
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Considering replacing my SS mono's with this tube amp. Anyone have one or heard one? Tube recommendations? Good used price?
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I'm curious about this as well. I've been contemplating getting rid of the McCormack and replacing w/tube monoblocks.
My problem is that I need at least 100w for my Martin Logans to be happy, and that kind of wattage w/tube gear gets pricey.
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You might be surpised with a lower wattage tube amp - 50W could be enough. I've been pretty shocked at even 30W amps pushing relatively inefficient full range speakers. Can you biamp those? Maybe keep the SS McCormack for the low and try tubes up top.
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I've got to talk to ML about it. They recomend nothing short of 80w for these (and most larger) ML's.
Bi amping....hmmmmmm
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I've kind of come to the conclusion for the type of listening we are doing more uncompressed then the average audio listener who purchases studio mastered compressed material that high watts is good.
Professionally mastered recordings do not have the wide range of dynamics that the recordings we listen to have they are a compressed recording so they sound good on a average playback system and much of the bass is removed because most playback systems can not handle that amount of bass.
This is where our recordings differ we are listening to the raw masters that have a much bigger dynamic range and where the higher watt output comes in to play. My average watt output for a comfortable listening level is only about 25 watts but will often have spikes up to about 300 watts per channel.
When listening at concert levels I require about 80 watts with spikes as high as 800.
If I was running a lower watt amp I could not take advantage of the dynamic range as well.
I do love the sound of low power tube amps but you pay the price of having less dynamic range and bass slam.
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I've had monster amps with gobs of watts. Dymanics and slam out the ass. I'm looking for something more refined - i'd gladly sacrifice some dynamics for better 3D imaging and natural timbre. I have a dedicated powered sub, so I have the slam factor covered anyhow. My amps for the monitors have a 1st order HPF @ 65Hz - so they aren't doing much low end work. A tube amp rated at 50w continuous may have no trouble with peaks several times that.
I do like bs'ing about playback gear, but has anyone heard the Rogue?
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i think mike falcon has a rogue 88, email him at michel0749@yahoo.com
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TALL from this board has the Rogue mono blocks and a Rogue preamp, send him a message if you just wanna know about the Rogue 'sound'.
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hey craig,
i listened to one for about 20 minutes at audio connection in verona, nj. system was: cary tube disc player>cary pre.(small chassis 2 tubes and a transformer)>rogue 88>vandersteen 1c's. someone flipped a lightswitch in the other room and pop! fireworks inside the rogue, game over. it was just the fuse, and i thought it sounded darn good for the price. but the fuse blowing did not impress me. that day i also listened to some quicksilver m-60 i belive, el-34 based 60w.monos that rocked the socks off the rogue.
totally off topic part: i just added a plinius 8150 integrated to my system(source>8150>vandersteen 1c's)
love it!
coop
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Craig...
did you ever get that rogue?
I'm thinking about the M-120 monoblocks REAL hard these days.
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No, the one I was thinking about was sold before I could make up my mind. I've seen a few of those m120's pop up, I guess they came out with an new version (m150's?) so some people are selling to make the upgrade. I actually did a complete 180* from tubes and went with a new digital amp. Awaiting some cables, so I haven't really had a chance to burn it in and give it a critical listen.
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Craig
didn't you post separately about the digital amps...i think you had a link to a panasonic that was $400 or something...is that what you ended up with?
chris k