Cary 120s

I finally have my 120S mated with a nice preamp (Doge 8) and as promised, I wanted to give some quick initial impressions.

1. Plenty of power and current to drive my Maggies (in fact, could be an ideal tube amp for MMGs or 1.6s).

2. The triode and ultrlinear settings make a big difference in sound. Both have their appeal, but generally I'd say triode is more laid back and better-suited to lower-volume listening. UL is great for rocking out.

3. Needs a higher gain preamp. Primaluna P3 was a bad match; the Doge is MUCH better. A Cary SLP98 would be close to perfect.

4. As for the heat - On a heat scale of 1 to 10: If a McIntosh MC275 is a 3, and AES Six-Pacs are an 9, this is probably a 6.

5. Listening now and sounds great!

Vlentudia, What tubes do u have installed in the 120s?

I am using Tung Sol 6550's and the stock 6SN7s.

I now have 67 hrs on the amp. I like the sound in triode although it is still a bit laid back. My other Cary amp and the VAC both operate in ultralinear and they don't have the dry grainy/etched sound the 120S exhibits in the ultralinear mode. I find this mode basically a gimmick. BTW It is still setup with stock power cord and tubes and I don't envision any changes there that would alter the performance in ultralinear.
I might try the Manley pre this weekend to see if that is a better match than the VAC.

Update: I am now using the 120S with a Cary SLP98. Still early on but so far the results are incredible. The 120S is a great amp to my ears, and a great value at the used price it's been commanding here. Will provide more thoughts after some more listening time.