Meant Atma-Sphere
Tube amplifier suggestion for 101 dB speakers
Hello All,
I've been using the Tyler Acoustics PD30s with Classé Sigma solid state preamp and amp combination.
These speakers have two 15" woofers and a horn tweeter, 4 ohm, sensitivity 101 dB.
The above combination is not the best, especially for complex rock music, the highs start to distort, they are harsh, just bad. Never had tube gears, but after reading a bit, these speakers apparently scream for tubes. Actually somebody brought over a hobbyist-made tube amp and yes, the speakers were tamed.
I'm willing to switch to a tube amp but prefer to keep the ss preamp.
Can anybody recommend a few good tube amp matches here, for a max of 3K new or used. Room is just a good medium size. I want something that I can keep for many years if possible and being somehow flexible to tube rolling.
Thanks.
I've been using the Tyler Acoustics PD30s with Classé Sigma solid state preamp and amp combination.
These speakers have two 15" woofers and a horn tweeter, 4 ohm, sensitivity 101 dB.
The above combination is not the best, especially for complex rock music, the highs start to distort, they are harsh, just bad. Never had tube gears, but after reading a bit, these speakers apparently scream for tubes. Actually somebody brought over a hobbyist-made tube amp and yes, the speakers were tamed.
I'm willing to switch to a tube amp but prefer to keep the ss preamp.
Can anybody recommend a few good tube amp matches here, for a max of 3K new or used. Room is just a good medium size. I want something that I can keep for many years if possible and being somehow flexible to tube rolling.
Thanks.
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- 47 posts total
There is an Art Audio 3ooXLS amplifier on audiogon, link below that should make you day. https://www.audiogon.com/listings/lis9b21a-art-audio-diavolo-13-watts-of-tube-magic-tube |
All right, I've got interesting and helpful responses, thanks for each and everyone. You could get a Rogue Stereo 100 100wpc tube amp for around 3 grand. It uses KT120 output tubes and it is a tube rollers dream. This looks something serious to consider. I do not want to go with mono-blocks, I like the fact that it has balanced inputs and lots of power plus mode switch. The looks it's more of an SS look though. That meter on the top is for bias adjustment reading? I see that there are auto/manual bias tube amps. In photography using auto mode is for those who don't know anything about photography. Is auto a good thing here with the tubes or manual is the way to go? I noticed the Primaluna Dialogs are all auto, but the others more or less manual. |
You mentioned that you'd like to keep the ss pre, however I'm going to recommend that you try a tube preamp for a couple reasons. The preamp tubes can and will tame the treble. Preamp tubes generally live much longer. And lastly, rolling preamp tubes is MUCH more feasible, for example there are basically no nos 6550( a popular power tube) tubes left anywhere, whereas even the most sought after preamp tubes are available.Yes I'd like to keep the Classé Sigma pre because it has all the features I need in a preamp. But presently having no experience with tubes, I do not know which mix [tube pre + ss amp] or [ss preamp + tube amp] has more effect on driving my speakers or generally. |
- 47 posts total