Author Topic: Bunch O Amps  (Read 25194 times)

zybar

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Re: Bunch O Amps
« Reply #15 on: May 11, 2009, 07:27:35 PM »
Correct tone is what I'm after, not comfort and beauty, so this is an interesting step in the search. There's some others I want to hear, but I don't think they'll be this fast.

If you did want beauty and speed, I think the latest AKSA amps would be the ticket.  The only thing they lacked compared to my current amp is finesse.  I am addicted to finesse in terms of detail presentation (low noise/black background) and control (imaging, instrument separation, non-congestion on complex music, etc.).  However, I often miss the AKSA's 'being there' presentation.  It's not that the AKSA didn't have finesse, just not as much as the McIntosh 402.

If it weren't such a hassle to ship, I'd suggest getting one on loan from someone.  I think the latest amp is probably a good notch better than what I've heard so, it may actually do finesse, tone, and speed.  It is the closest to a tube amp I've heard.. that wasn't a tube amp.  I liked it more than the Snappers personally.. But our goals are different.  I'm still a big fan of a 2nd generation original... where I have a new performance that's as correct as it can be.. or as correct as I can make it... whatever 'correct' means.. haha.  That's a long description..

-C

Carl,

You just described how I feel about the MA-1's!   :D/

I would recommend them all the time if it wasn't for a few issues:

1.  They are pretty darn expensive.
2.  The produce a lot of heat and use a lot of electricity - definitely not green!
3.  Since they are OTL's, they require even more careful matching with associated gear.

If you can get past items 1 and 2 and do a good job with number 3, I think they are simply MAGIC!

George

Offline richidoo

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Re: Bunch O Amps
« Reply #16 on: May 11, 2009, 07:49:01 PM »
I may end up with tubes again, but I need to lick my wounds from the last tube adventure.

Spectron was harder to swallow today. You gotta be in the mood for it. The treble is a paradox.

Hey George, what preamp do you use now with the OTLs? 

lonewolfny42

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Re: Bunch O Amps
« Reply #17 on: May 11, 2009, 10:54:49 PM »
I put together Lonewolf's AKSA '100 Nirvana+' and it sounded better than my own.  Practice makes perfect. ;)  The Soraya was playing the Dave Ellis speakers at RMAF year before last.  I thought it was a nice sound but like everything at RMAF, I had a hard time taking away any real observations. 

You did a great job on it Carl....I use it often...thanks !! :beer:

The Soraya is a good step up over the N+....I've heard Paul's (Occam,pmkap) Soraya a number of times, very nice  :)...and soon Hugh (AKSA) should have another model available.

Their good amps..... :D/
« Last Edit: May 11, 2009, 11:00:47 PM by lonewolfny42 »

zybar

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Re: Bunch O Amps
« Reply #18 on: May 12, 2009, 03:16:23 AM »
I may end up with tubes again, but I need to lick my wounds from the last tube adventure.

Spectron was harder to swallow today. You gotta be in the mood for it. The treble is a paradox.

Hey George, what preamp do you use now with the OTLs? 

Plinius M8

George

pmkap

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Re: Bunch O Amps
« Reply #19 on: May 12, 2009, 04:46:33 AM »
I will definitely add it to the list. Too many people I trust love AKSA not to try it. pmkap has Soroya. lonewolf has Aksa too, I think?? It is summer again, time to go hear jazz and amps in NY.... ;) Some new amps coming soon from Hugh too iirc

Well, stop on by. I just got the latest album from Balkan Beat Box. Its got a great beat, and you can dance to it...
My Soraya Mk I is a lovely amp, and IMO a substantial upgrade to Hugh's previous amps. Truly an iron fist in a silk glove.

Regards,
Paul

Offline bmr3hc

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Re: Bunch O Amps
« Reply #20 on: May 12, 2009, 05:32:23 AM »
I may end up with tubes again, but I need to lick my wounds from the last tube adventure.

Spectron was harder to swallow today. You gotta be in the mood for it. The treble is a paradox.

Hey George, what preamp do you use now with the OTLs? 
Rich
You just can't shake that tube thing can you? Many have tried, but resistance is futile. Yes,  sometimes its a royal pain. But at the end of the day, tubes are like a beautiful woman that can cook and light your fire.

Henry   
"If music be the food of love, play on."  Shakespeare

Offline richidoo

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Re: Bunch O Amps
« Reply #21 on: May 12, 2009, 08:05:09 AM »
Rich
You just can't shake that tube thing can you? Many have tried, but resistance is futile. Yes,  sometimes its a royal pain. But at the end of the day, tubes are like a beautiful woman that can cook and light your fire.

You got that right Henry. I do miss the richness of the tube amps, I guess I do like a little comfort and beauty after all. But I love the benefits of SS, so I'm enjoying that, and longing for an all in one package - the "perfect woman," we all know where that leads.

Thanks for the invite Paul. I hope I can get up there this summer for a rave and a Soroya audition.

Nice pre George. Says a lot that you follow it with the M1s.

zybar

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Re: Bunch O Amps
« Reply #22 on: May 12, 2009, 09:24:16 AM »
I may end up with tubes again, but I need to lick my wounds from the last tube adventure.

Spectron was harder to swallow today. You gotta be in the mood for it. The treble is a paradox.

Hey George, what preamp do you use now with the OTLs? 
Rich
You just can't shake that tube thing can you? Many have tried, but resistance is futile. Yes,  sometimes its a royal pain. But at the end of the day, tubes are like a beautiful woman that can cook and light your fire.

Henry   

I tried to shake it and owned some really good ss amps (McCormack DNA-500, BAT VK-600SE, CI Audio D-200's, Plinius SA-250), but as good as they were, I missed my tubes and eased back into things by going with a Moscode 401HR (hybrid amp).  

Once I started back down that path, it wasn't too long before I went back fully to tube amps.  My first stop was the Bella Extreme 100's, followed by the McAlister PP-150, and finally Atma-Sphere M60's and MA-1's.

I am quite happy to be back in the tube world.

George

Offline richidoo

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Re: Bunch O Amps
« Reply #23 on: May 12, 2009, 10:26:35 AM »
Thanks for your insight George. I have been reading about those amps a lot.

I was a closed minded tube nut since the beginning with my little Cary, then the Manleys. Then I fell for Charles Altmann's superb marketing of a car stereo chip, his BYOB amp. Until I heard that little 5W wonder I had never heard any SS amp ever get high frequencies really right, the way that tubes do almost everytime, even better actually. It is far from perfect, but now I have opened my mind a crack in hope that it is possible and affordable to get that quality of sound in SS with 100wpc. So far I have only heard Classe do it, but not in my home. At home the personality of amps seems to change from in the store or show, Dr Jeckyll / Mr Hyde. So the temptation to go back to tubes is always there, but my speakers have truly awesome bass capabilities which I don't want to waste. 100W tubes just don't get it done.  More tube watts is not the answer either, other owners of my speakers crave more slam than their premium tube amps give. Biamping or a SS amp or new speakers.

So you have the built in SS bass amp on the Vandies with Atmaspheres on the top drivers? How do you use MA-1 and M60 together? Or do you use the MA1s on the bass?  8)  Intriguing!

zybar

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Re: Bunch O Amps
« Reply #24 on: May 12, 2009, 10:40:55 AM »
Thanks for your insight George. I have been reading about those amps a lot.

I was a closed minded tube nut since the beginning with my little Cary, then the Manleys. Then I fell for Charles Altmann's superb marketing of a car stereo chip, his BYOB amp. Until I heard that little 5W wonder I had never heard any SS amp ever get high frequencies really right, the way that tubes do almost everytime, even better actually. It is far from perfect, but now I have opened my mind a crack in hope that it is possible and affordable to get that quality of sound in SS with 100wpc. So far I have only heard Classe do it, but not in my home. At home the personality of amps seems to change from in the store or show, Dr Jeckyll / Mr Hyde. So the temptation to go back to tubes is always there, but my speakers have truly awesome bass capabilities which I don't want to waste. 100W tubes just don't get it done.  More tube watts is not the answer either, other owners of my speakers crave more slam than their premium tube amps give. Biamping or a SS amp or new speakers.

So you have the built in SS bass amp on the Vandies with Atmaspheres on the top drivers? How do you use MA-1 and M60 together? Or do you use the MA1s on the bass?  8)  Intriguing!

I am just using the MA-1's with the 5A's.  The powered subs are from 120Hz down to 20Hz and everything above that range is powered by the MA-1's.

When I had my Emerald Physics CS2's, I did use the M-60's on the tweeter and the MA-1's on the woofers.  Talk about tubes...that combo used 62 tubes in pure Class A!!!   :clap:

George

Offline Carlman

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Re: Bunch O Amps
« Reply #25 on: May 12, 2009, 10:44:19 AM »
When I had my Emerald Physics CS2's, I did use the M-60's on the tweeter and the MA-1's on the woofers.  Talk about tubes...that combo used 62 tubes in pure Class A!!!   :clap:
George

Perfect for cozying up with on winter nights! Must've been a nice heater for that room. ;)
I really enjoy listening to music.

mgalusha

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Re: Bunch O Amps
« Reply #26 on: May 12, 2009, 03:36:58 PM »
Busy busy Rich. :)

Like you I love the sound of tubes but the new speakers (GedLee Abbeys) want more current than most tube amps seem to have. They have a 95dB sensitivity but they suck the life out of a 75W tube amp and my 100W OTL as well, though it's less stressed if I use the Zero Autoformers.

Lately I've been using the "Zero dB" module from an Audio-GD C1 and getting all the voltage gain from my tube linestage. I reworked my preamp to have about 26dB of gain and it's providing all the voltage and the SS part is just for current. No feedback loop in either piece. I have not heard any tube/ss hybrids I've been really fond of but I'm pretty happy with this at the moment. Of course it precludes playing with other preamps but it drives the speakers with ease and sounds very much like the triodes providing the gain. I've come to the realization (again..) that as long as it's clean, more power is better, at least for me. 500W into 4R seems just about right for these speakers. :)

mike

Offline bpape

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Re: Bunch O Amps
« Reply #27 on: May 12, 2009, 05:51:05 PM »
You guys are having WAY too much fun. 

To me Rich, you're looking for what I've looked for, for years.  I've tried all the permutations - all SS, all tube, tube amps with SS pre, hybrids, etc.  I keep coming back to the same thing.  Solid state, discreet, bipolar, Class A solid state amp - GOOD tube preamp.  That's what gives me the guts, warmth, detail, imaging, etc. that I hear you asking for.

Bryan
« Last Edit: May 12, 2009, 05:56:16 PM by bpape »
I am serious... and don't call me Shirley

Offline richidoo

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Re: Bunch O Amps
« Reply #28 on: May 12, 2009, 06:43:11 PM »
Cool - thanks ;)

Offline chrisa

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Re: Bunch O Amps
« Reply #29 on: May 12, 2009, 07:29:53 PM »
To me, the solution is pretty simple. Rich needs two systems. Possibly one system for tone and musicality, and one for impact, pace and power.  If you love both, I think you may always be frustrated trying to assemble one system that does it all, all the time.

I achieve great pleasure optimizing my two systems with different sources, good sounding cables from different manufacturers, and different amplifier topologies.
The two systems are pretty stable right now, but I look at it more as a collection of components and cables, each of which I don't want to part with. When I want to change the sound, all I need to do is switch something out for awhile.

Chris