@elliottbnewcombjr I live in the New York City area. Brooklyn to be exact. I only know of one place in nyc area that has tube amps (Innovative Audio ) but they are pushing very expensive equipment. If there are other places in nyc area that I could demo tube amps in my price range please let me know.
Help with first tube amp
I’m looking for some guidance on purchasing my first tube amp.
My current setup: Speakers: Sonus Faber Sonetto 1 G2 bookshelf speakers. (I plan to add a subwoofer soon)
Amp/Source: Cambridge Audio EVO 150 (all-in-one integrated with built-in streamer & DAC)
The EVO 150 made sense originally because I didn’t have room for multiple components, but after some renovations I now have space and flexibility to build out a proper system.
Since this would be my first tube amp, I was hoping to keep costs reasonable and have been considering: •Muzishare X7 (KT88) •Cayin A-88T (KT88) •A used Muzishare R100 (300B) available locally •A used Brunoco Terra 6L6 PP available locally
My questions:
1. Will I actually hear a meaningful difference between my EVO 150 and these lower-cost tube amps?
2. Are my Sonus Faber Sonetto 1 G2s at 87 db sensitivity a good match for these lower-power tube amps ?
3. Anything I should keep in mind as a first-time tube amp buyer who listens mostly to vinyl and streaming?
4. What If I used the EVO 150 as a pre amp with the tube amp as power source only? Would that still give me that tube sound ?
Thanks in advance — really appreciate any advice from folks with experience!
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- 37 posts total
Your speakers are rated at 4 0hms nominal impedance, which means they probably dip below that and would be a bit of a hard load for the amps you mentioned and most budget tube integrateds. You might consider a hybrid like this Unison Unico Due that has a tube input stage with solid state MOSFET output stage that’d give you some tube magic with solid state power to sufficiently power your speakers. This seller offers 30-day returns if it doesn’t work out, which is nice. |
Head in to https://resolutionavnyc.com/collections in Brooklyn and tell them what you’re looking for - they’re super helpful and can guide you in the right direction, plus you’ll get to check out some cool gear. (If chasing that tube sound) - you may want to dig in to the benefits of higher efficiency speakers and then checkout https://www.decwareproducts.com for their tube products. I wish I would’ve known about them before I started my journey. Very affordable - often touted as people’s ’absolute favorite’ amp at any price (under $2K). |
@licarijo - one store in the NYC area that sells tube amps? That don't sound right. I just did a search on hi-fi stores in the NYC Area and came up with quite a few of them just on Yelp, most of whom sell tube gear. But these are high-end stores that sell high-end brands, and often tube gear from those brands can be a bit pricey, but even those brands often have a variety of levels and prices. |
- 37 posts total