AudiogoN Forums: Can tube amps play loudly?

Can tube amps play loudly?

Hello Gentlemen,

I'm in process of upgrading my current system. It's all junk...Onkyo receiver, Wharfedale speakers, etc. I've finally finished grad school and have decided it's high-time to upgrade to a quality two-channel system.

I've heard tube amps in various settings and love the way they sound. I'm strongly considering starting with one of the modified Cayins on the market (Bizzy Bee or PrimaLuna versions).

I’ll preface my question by noting that I am a total tube “newbie,” and I’m sure my question will speak volumes about my relative youthfulness. Here goes: Can tube amplifiers in this modest price range play loudly?

I realize this is dependent on the speakers and their sensitivities. What I'm looking for here is a relative ballpark estimate. There are so many good speakers on the market that I don't even know what to start looking at seriously. If I could weed some out based on their sensitivities, that would help me out a lot.

So, does anyone have any rough decibel ratings for tube amps similar to the Cayin? If so, what sensitivity are your speakers? I do realize that decibel ratings vary widely depending on amp power, speaker type, distance, etc. All I want is a rough estimate.

Any thoughts from anyone would be appreciated. I’d like to be able to narrow down my speaker choices before I start shopping seriously, because I don’t want to waste my time or a dealer’s. Plus, I’d like to know whether I can even achieve respectable volumes with tube amps on my modest budget.

Thanks!
-Chris

Cds9000 (Threads | Answers | This Thread)

10-22-04

Responses (1-30 of 30)

Click title to read one, or click date to read all below it.

10-22-04 The db level all depends on how much power you feed the spea ... Slappy

10-22-04 Tube amp distortion is easier on the ear, so the power ratin ... Rockvirgo

10-22-04 All guitar players prefere tube amps since they could scream ... Marakanetz

10-22-04 Ok guess slappy didn't ditch math class too much. hey slapp ... Mejames

10-22-04 Thanks for the help, guys. slappy, i appreciate your detail ... Cds9000

10-22-04 Chris- there are plenty of 89-92 db speakers out there that ... Swampwalker

10-23-04 Chris i drive aerial 10t's with rogue m150's .aerial's are p ... Yioryos

10-23-04 Swampwalker, is that a loss of 6db per watt, or are you say ... Cds9000

10-23-04 This may be a terrible stereotyping thing i'm doing here, bu ... Jax2

10-23-04 Jax2/marco, i've heard enough quality ss and tube equipment ... Cds9000

10-23-04 "slappy, i appreciate your detailed explanation. those ... Jeffreybehr

10-23-04 Er, swampwalker & jeffreybehr, i think on a log scale like d ... Edesilva

10-23-04 You only mentioned amps - but the higher end integrateds hav ... Delsfan

10-23-04 Go to this site www.smr-home-theatre.org and find the articl ... Soliver

10-23-04 Make sure you get an amp that has a volume knob that goes t ... Lokie

10-23-04: Boa2
Cds9000,

Many tube amps will rock your house down. Achieving volume won't be your quandry. Finding an amp that will cover the wide range of your musical genres will. It's a little like playing golf with five clubs in the bag. It can be done, but you will notice the gaps in the tool kit.

My wife and I went through a similar audio journey, and we settled on two systems run from one CD player. We owned and auditioned many tube amps--even as powerful as 140W-- and while they had the warmth and 3-dimensionality we loved, we could not find one that had the bass impact we wanted for rock/metal/blues. Again, not a volume issue. Rather, more of a tonal requirement.

If we had only one amp, we would keep our hybrid. It is not the 'best' at anything, but it covers every genre quite capably. That is not to suggest that it would be right for you. Rather, I would say that it is most important to look/listen for the amp (and speakers, which are just as crucial) that will answer to YOUR listening needs. In the end, you may notice those 'gaps in the tool bag', but there are some amp/speaker pairings that will ultimately satisfy you on all counts.

All the best,

Howard
Boa2 (Threads | Answers | This Thread)

10-23-04 You might also consider getting a tube pre-amp and a solid s ... Dlr

10-23-04 Chris- so then the answer to your question is an resolute &q ... Jax2

10-23-04 "i’d like to be able to narrow down my speaker choices ... Delsfan

10-23-04 Cds9000, i'm a budget-minded person who opted for the modde ... Winegasman

10-23-04 Phew, that's a lot of info. i'll start at the top: first, ... Cds9000

10-23-04 I've owned both tube and ss amps. i think the cayin is in t ... Maxxc

10-23-04 Cds9000, i have used the cayin with klipsch rb-5iis, b&w 60 ... Winegasman

10-24-04 Maxxc, many volume controls advance in 3 db steps in their l ... Rockvirgo

10-24-04 Audio research makes (made) a good integrated with remote co ... Tomryan

10-24-04 If you match a ss poweramp to a tube preamp,make sure the pr ... Raytheprinter

10-24-04 Hi rockvirgo. no thats not exactly what i meant. yes a ... Maxxc

10-24-04 Maxxc, lots of volume controls are designed to increase loud ... Rockvirgo

10-25-04 I guess you are refering to step attenuators. my amp adjus ... Maxxc

10-26-04 Great stuff, guys. i've got plenty of reading and research ... Cds9000