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.
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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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. |
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