You have so many advocates for, naturally enough, for brands that have satisfied those who own them. Adding another is probably not a good service at this point, but because the brand hasn't been mentioned, I will. For your budget, you could find a used Zesto Bia 120, or even a Bia 200. These are both all tube, Class A stereo amps that are powerful (60 wpc and 100 wpc respectively) enough for many speakers. Slightly to the warm, full side of the sonic spectrum, but not by much. The Bia 120 has been my amp for a few years now, and it really suits me.
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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@kennyc yes, or throw the towel in in confusion and fall back on a warm-sounding SS amp Thanks for all the great advice. |
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- 68 posts total