2. amps-preamps
  3. 178841-147344

Sideways move?

I currently have a pair of Tannoy Legacy Ardens (sensitivity 93) and love them. I am running them with a Decware Zen Torii M5 with bypass mods. They sound wonderful together... But... the 25 watts from the Zen Torii just isn't enough to properly do justice to the Ardens, after tube rolling and finding the right output tubes (KT66).

Since I am relatively happy, I was thinking of several options:

1) Get a pair of Devore O/96's (I'm never going to part with the Tannoys)

2) Sell the Decware and get an LTA z40+ or a Luxman 509X

I love the Decware, but I think selling it and the tubes I've stashed for it, might make it possible to go up another rung...

Thank you,

Steve

sbrogdon
sbrogdon OP
9 posts
 

Bligh Me!

So I was tube rolling the input tubes, and somehow missed the tubes in the pre-amp (Inspire 2030p) going out, at the same time, with volume reduction in BOTH channels. The Amperex 7308's sounded so good I never tried back other input tubes or thought to check the pre-amp. But when I switched over to my XP-17, it was rocking loud. So I took the pre-amp out of the equation and presto! I have a beast with good sounding 7308's and plenty of headroom again!!!

Sometimes it is that simple... I would think 25 wpc would drive anything with a sensitivity of 93 and up.

 

Thank you everyone, I'm embarrassed, but I'd rather be embarrassed AND relieved. Not only that, but this combo sounds much better without the pre, even after I replaced the tubes. If anyone is looking for a 2030p....

Best!

Steve

charles1dad's avatar
charles1dad
10,229 posts
 

These simple overlooked errors can happen to anyone. Glad your system is now working out beautifully for you.

Charles 

knighttodd
197 posts
 

I've got about 200hrs on my Ardens. They sound incredible.  I'm running them with mono blocks. A pair of Prima Luna Evo 400 for the high and PS audio 1200m monoblocks for the low end. You definitely need a little more power. 

realworldaudio
174 posts
 

I'm with @russ69   -->

They sound wonderful together... 

Can I throw this out there? There is no perfect hi-fi system, until you get a giant and very expensive system, they all have their limitations. Is there any way you can live with your power limitations? I had a system that could not play loud or BIG, after I sold it, I realized it was a mistake, it was a perfectly fine system and I let it go. 

 

 

So true.

This is how we make the biggest mistakes. Want everything, and lose so much until we will arrive again at the "sound wonderful together" but at a higher level. Might take 20 years to get back to the level of enjoyment you have now... until then you will (might!) have higher power, but you will wonder why when the magic is lost.

I would start building a second system  to overcome those limits.... and if cannot be solved, I still have the wonderful one.

 

mrskeptic
262 posts
 

If 1 watt can produce 93dB in those speakers, 24 more would drive them to uncomfortable levels. More power isn't your issue.

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