2. amps-preamps
  3. 959832610

SF Assemblage ST-40 tube amp?

I was thinking of looking for a used ST-40 amplifier to try, for a foray into affordable tube amps. Problem is, nobody seems to be selling theirs, so there must be something good happening with them, maybe? I have several different speakers, and am interested in finding out how well this amp would drive them on my own, but wonder if this amp is worth trying.................What I would like is to hear from those who either own one, or have compared one directly to another tube amp of similar price.........OR..........The Rogue Model 88 looks intrigueing too, but is a little more than I want to spend on a tube amp. (I'm an ss guy, my current amp is a Krell KAV-250a, and it's not going anywhere...) And please, NO CHEAPSHOTS from the peanut gallery (you know who you are). I get riled easily, and am not responsible for what you'll unleash...heh heh. And as everyone says, "thanks in advance".......Carl
carl_eber
carl_eber OP
1,425 posts
 
Thanks to both of you. I'm interested in buying something that's already depreciated, so I can sell it again if I don't like it (seems like I already said that, but oh well). Not interested in any preamps of any sort right now, don't need them. Neither one of you has heard or owned either the Rogue 88, or the ST-40, have you?
osclib
52 posts
 
I have not, just throwing out some ideas.
issabre
120 posts
 
I can vouch for the Dyna St-70. Excellent highs and midrange. But needs work on the bass end...especially if you have some difficult to tame speakers. I've heard the ST-70 II, the revamped model by the Japanese, is much better in that department. But the old Dynas are so cheap its obscene. I like my first so much, that I'm shopping for a second to running dually on my Vandys. If I were you, I'd get one for $200 or so and see how you like it...it will be a great intro to that "tube sound" that everyone talks about.
john_l
782 posts
 
Sorry. I thought the question was open-ended. :)
carl_eber OP
1,425 posts
 
Thanks anyway, Osclib. I checked out the bottlehead.com, and their amps aren't powerful enough for me (although Sam Tellig thinks the 2A3 tube is the "tube of the 21st century", heh heh). They'd be interesting if I had really effecient speakers (one of my speaker projects will be, but I've got to build it first).........................No problem at all, John. John and Issabre, I may just have to try a Dynaco ST-70, then. I don't know, we'll see. The whole reason I was thinking the Sonic Frontiers Assemblage was because it was supposed to be very good in the bass (as ANY tube amps go, besides affordable ones...has a high claimed damping factor for a tube amp), and not do anything seriously wrong in the rest of the range. It even supposedly has a terrific midrange. It's possible that the Dynaco is a better amp, other than the bass, though. I have no idea...........I HAVE HEARD A TERRIBLE SOUNDING TUBE AMP BEFORE. It was a Luxman, not sure the model number. Very inaccurate and blurry sounding, with bass and lower mids having the most coloration I've ever heard from a hi-fi component. Perhaps the tubes were long past going bad, I don't know. That was with Dynaudio Contour 1.8 Mk 2 speakers..........I would have been discouraged about tube amps if I hadn't since heard a 125 watt VTL amp that sounded less tubelike and more analytical on Soundlab speakers, than did my Krell amplifier on my Paragons!.......I own various speakers, and am building several more. The primary commercially bought ones I have right now are: Alesis Monitor Ones, Paragon Acoustics Radiants, and Magneplanar MMG's. I have high hopes for my project speakers...but need to spend more time working on them, than talking about them, heh heh.
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