Ken-Rad only made tubes on their own until 1945 when they were acquired by GE. Their name appeared on tubes only until the early 50's and the majority of their tubes went directly to the military. They are a rare commodity on the market today and reputable sellers like Andy at VTS sell them for $140-200 a piece. There are far more reasonably priced and good sounding tubes still to be found for much less than the prices Ken-Rad command.
Suggestions for a tube pre and power amp
Dear Audio Friends,
I am writing to seek your experienced suggestions regarding an upgrade to my current stereo setup. My current system consists of Revel F328Be speakers powered by a Luxman 590Mk2 Class A integrated amp. My frontend includes a Sonic Transporter (Roon core) powered by a Farad LPS, a Holo Red streamer, and a Holo May KTE DAC.
I am considering transitioning to a tube preamplifier and a solid-state power amplifier combination. While my speakers have a 91dB sensitivity, the impedance dips to 3 ohms between 100Hz and 200Hz.
My current shortlists are as follows:
- Power Amps: Coda S5.5 Class A or Coda No. 8 V1.
- Tube Preamps: Backert Labs Rhumba, Spatial Audio Raven, or Motherlode XL.
I am looking for a 3D holographic, warm sound with a high level of clarity and detail. While I am aware of the general rules regarding impedance matching, I would value your insights on how these specific components might pair together. I am also very open to any other combinations you might recommend.
Thank you for your help.
Rlal
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- 125 posts total
I can recommend LTA and Coda, I have a MicroZOTL Level 3 preamp with Ray Reserve 6SN7 and 12AT7 and a Coda No.8 V1 power amp. They are very nice together, as others have said, the LTA is not a classic tube sound but a nice balance in between, open, dynamic, detailed, and very quiet. |
I have to agree with @ghdprentice regarding the ARC/Pass Labs combo, probably because that is what I am most familiar with. I have Wilson Sabrina X's, with a Pass Labs 250.8 and an ARC REF 6 pre. Although I have not heard a lot of the equipment discussed, I find that my combo is great. The tube pre and the solid state amp give me the best of both worlds. But one thing I can definitely say: reach for the REF 6 if you go ARC. I listened to the LS28SE, the Ref 5 and the REF 6 and the REF 6 was significantly better to my ears. The lower ARC models just didn't improve the sound over the MSB DAC to Amp setup, but the REF 6 was a definite improvement. Several people have mentioned Allnic pre's. I have heard stories from owners singing their praise, but haven't heard one. When I was looked at preamps, my recollection is that the Allnics don't have a remote control, which I definitely wanted, so . . . |
- 125 posts total