Id look first at the Conrad Johnson, and then at the Mac. I would audition both. If that are too warm with your already natural sounding speakers then check out the Primaluna. But one of the first two should send you on your way.
First foray into tube amps
I just read the thread on McIntosh and it has prompted me to start this thread. I would like to try a tube power amp, but I have no experience with tubes. For now, at least, I am pretty well settled on the rest of my system: Stirling LS3/6 speakers with dual SVS 3000 micro subs, Node 130 streamer with PD Creative/LHY power and English Eight switch, Bacch4Mac crosstalk elimination and DSP, RME Fireface dac/interconnect. I’ll be replacing a Peachtree Gan1. The room is 23x16x8 and is well treated. I listen at low to moderate volumes, lots of vocals, blues, Argentine Tango, some classic rock. I love that BBC mid-range magic, and think I want a little more warmth than I have now - but without giving up any precision or detail. I find very analytical high end reproduction to be unpleasant, though. On the low end, I dislike mushiness. I really like bass details without slam - think of Holly Cole’s Train Song listening to those bass transients tail off.
So, I think that some tube amps might fit the bill and are within budget (say $5,000). Here is my provisional short list: McIntosh MC275 MK6, Conrad Johnson MV60SE, Quicksilver Mid-Monos or 88 Monos, PrimaLuna Evo 300 or 400. There are many others, and I’d welcome suggestions. I can’t tell if these or some other amp would likely have better synergy with my speakers/room/music preferences. I realize that I may need to try several amps to find which one sounds best to me - but where to start? Many thanks.
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Hi , I have tube mono’s as I like tubes. Going from a Gan amp to tubes is a big change in direction. Your short list is a good starting point. Personally I lean towards too much power over not enough. In regards to the Quicksilver I’d consider the KT monos too. I have zero experience with your speakers and I can’t give a direct recommendation. I’d consider contacting dealers that sell your speakers and ask what they would recommend. Second I’d contact places like Quicksilver and Aric and ask what’s a good match for your speakers. FWIT I run mostly NOS input and driver tubes and current production power tubes. And as mentioned above I’d definitely try to get some gear to demo at home. I have Rogue gear and it leans towards the SS side on tone and some of the amps you listed are more liquid sounding. I also rotate a SS amp into my system and if you like your Peachtree amp I’d recommend keeping it for later. Happy Hunting , Mike B. |
The Stirling LS3/6 are 87 dB. The RME Fireface interconnect has a good dac and volume control, so I will use it in place of a separate dac or preamp. I could add a tube pre and stay with SS for the power amp, but I’d like to avoid adding an otherwise unnecessary component. @whart I’m in Chicago, so there are several high-end dealers. I will follow your suggestion and contact a couple that carry tube amps. I will call Quicksilver, Aric and Galion to see what they recommend for my system. And @mulveling I’m glad to know that my short list didn’t have any obvious mismatches with my speakers/room/music preferences. To my mind that was the first thing to avoid. Many thanks. This information has all been very helpful.
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Audio Research Reference 75’s are now showing up for $4K used or so. The challenge with this generation of Audio Research is that if a tube goes it usually takes out a resistor, so needs technician work if you are not handy. No auto biasing either. After being a C-J tube amp owner for 30 years (and moved on) I am often tempted to get back into the tube amp game. I may still bite on the right AR Reference 75SE… |
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