2. amps-preamps
  3. 1195181577

Moving away from tubes. Is this a good idea?

I need a new amp for my Totem Sttafs and REALLY considered tubes. My final thought is that if you don't have a certain pile of money you are only kissing your sister. Have you ever seen my sister? Besides there is a Devel's Tower of a learning curve for me to climb around tubes and I'm really anxious to just sit down and listen without any anxiety (if you know what I mean).

I have an opportunity to pick up a JungSon JA 88-D class A integrated amp. Just one piece of electronics to move onto the rack (but what a BIG piece:-)

I have a relatively med/small room (16'x17'x8'). The speakers are rated 8hm, 88dB, and 100 W max. program.

The amp is rated at 80 wpc, class A, RMS 8ohms.

From what I read the JungSon is about as close to a tube sound via ss as I can get without breaking into the kids xmas fund. I just want a rich full room of acoustical/vocal/instrumental music.

Could you give me your opinion if you think the Sttafs will be underpowered or unmatched.

Thanks.
djh

Showing 2 responses by springbok10

springbok10
711 posts
 
Any of us tube freaks think you should go with tubes. There are a few Consonance integrated amps, with the sweet sounding EL 34s in your price range. I know that this is what I would do. If you go straight to ss, you'll not know what you're missing - if you go tubes and buy one of these units and it's insufficient power (which I doubt, since 40-60 WPC of tube power easily drove my Totem One Signatures easily in a bigger room), then you can sell it withot taking a beating.
springbok10
711 posts
 
In case it helps you, let me tell you that my Atmasphere tube amps (MA-2) have 58 tubes, the MP-1 has 5 tubes and in 3 1/2 years I have not had to replace even ONE tube nor had any problems whatsoever! (except when I installed the amps, I literally broke one and blew a fuse). So, rest assured, tube amps are as reliable as ss amps and certainly are not necessarily any more work. Admittedly, you may have to bias them occasionally, but if you get an auto-bias set-up, you wont even have to do that.
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