2. amps-preamps
  3. 1194668579

To tube, or not to tube, that is the question

Falling head first into the hi-fi stratosphere. Read some of your posts that you should start with your speakers first then select the appropriate amp. So, I'm picking up my "new to me" Totems Sttaffs (spelled correctly don't you know) tomorrow and I am anticipating that my good old 30 year old Pioneer SA 6800 amp just ain't going to cut it any more. I should get a new amp.

I have an opportunity to purchase an Audiolab 8000S integrated amp to power the Sttafs. I really don't know if the Audiolab is the amp for these speakers but the price is right. I'm also thinking that all this chat about tubes should mean that it might be worth a try, The 8000S can act as a power amp if I hook it up to a tubed pre-amp later when I get more bucks. Or maybe I should forgo the ss integrated amp entirely and jump both feet into the tube world with either a tube integrated or a hybid. Keep in mind, I have quite an eclectic taste in music, mostly centering around electronic jazz and instrumental classical pieces, guitar acoustical renditions, vocal centered ballad material and the occassional heavy metal head banging rants. And I do have a limited budget. No Pathos amps for me. I'd be REALLY glad if I could pull this off under $500 (Do I hear the word "China"?). Would I be throwing good money to bad starting my tube journey with the 8000S? Can any amp fill this void?

I don't want to hear "Why did you get the Sttafs?" because I just did. I really liked them in the shop and I think they will be great in my home. I would like to know if reasonably priced tube amps can work with the Sttafs and if not, well, what do you suggest?

Thanks ahead for any input.
djh

Showing 1 response by rf_gumby

rf_gumby
54 posts
 
I've heard the Sttaffs and like thme. I am always impressed with the sound Totem gets in a relativiley small packege and for a nice price.

I think you can do fine with a tube amp of 30wpc or more. A SS amp wil do fine also, but I'd do at least 50-100 wpc for that combination. As always, different SS amps will sound better or worse with your Totems, different tube amps will sound better or worse as well. The odd part is, you never quite know until you try them with your speakers in your room with your material whether or not they'll sound good to you.

If you buy used you can always get most or all of your money back to try something else without much financial loss.
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