Hello Mrtennis,
I also use VTL tiny triodes on my Quad ESL 57s. They are a fun little amplifier, and quite worth the price. I would highly recommend them for somebody on a limited budget or somebody that just wants some little amps that they can move around a lot.
As for the sound, I listen to them in triode mode on the Quads exclusively. Why bother with Tetrode mode unless it is a slightly more demanding speaker? Anyway, in triode mode I find that the bass is a bit lumpier than my EAR 861 amp, but it does sound sweeter. The EAR does not shame the VTLs at all (although it should at 6x the price). The VTLs get the job done...I just think the EAR is better.
I talked to Luke Manley about the Tiny Triodes a few months ago while he was demoing some monster Sigfried 750 watt amps. He said that although he liked the Tiny Triodes, the market just never seemed to really have a strong pull for them.
That seems understandable. In this day and age, people either want SET or they want really powerful amps. The manufactures selling 20-40 watt pushpull amps dont have a very big market to chase after.
Actually, that market is basically Quad ESL users, and maybe some 92+db dynamic driver speakers with forgiving impedance curves.
But getting back on point, I would say that a pair of (the later version) Tiny Triodes for $1100-$1400 is really good value.
Happy Listening,
Jake
I also use VTL tiny triodes on my Quad ESL 57s. They are a fun little amplifier, and quite worth the price. I would highly recommend them for somebody on a limited budget or somebody that just wants some little amps that they can move around a lot.
As for the sound, I listen to them in triode mode on the Quads exclusively. Why bother with Tetrode mode unless it is a slightly more demanding speaker? Anyway, in triode mode I find that the bass is a bit lumpier than my EAR 861 amp, but it does sound sweeter. The EAR does not shame the VTLs at all (although it should at 6x the price). The VTLs get the job done...I just think the EAR is better.
I talked to Luke Manley about the Tiny Triodes a few months ago while he was demoing some monster Sigfried 750 watt amps. He said that although he liked the Tiny Triodes, the market just never seemed to really have a strong pull for them.
That seems understandable. In this day and age, people either want SET or they want really powerful amps. The manufactures selling 20-40 watt pushpull amps dont have a very big market to chase after.
Actually, that market is basically Quad ESL users, and maybe some 92+db dynamic driver speakers with forgiving impedance curves.
But getting back on point, I would say that a pair of (the later version) Tiny Triodes for $1100-$1400 is really good value.
Happy Listening,
Jake