|   newcomer seek help..... | cooper24
May 31, 2002 2:37 PM | | Hi,I'm new here and i like some pointers regarding Tube amps. I've been using ss amp for quite some time until i recently heard some tube amps that change my view. I'm thinking of purchasing the Jolida 502B or the Decware SE84C-S. Which is better? Has anyone compared this 2 items before? Or anyone has any suggestion to better amps around that price range? By the way, i prefer deep/tight bass and high clarity sound. |
| I have tubes.....a few questions first........ | Chris Garrett
Jun 8, 2002 9:16 AM | | What other gear are you running specifically?
What is the impedence of your speakers, how efficient are they?
What type of music do you mostly listen to?
What is your budget and do you mind buying off the used markets?
Will you be interested in experimenting with, or changing, different tube types, or are you clutzy in this regard?
I've read lots about Jolidas and the Decwares, the former being made in China and the latter in the USA. I'll check their specs, as I'm not too sure about the exact models.
I would think that the QC issues would be slightly better with the Decware, but there are others I'd probably lean to first.
Check out Quicksilver, Rogue, Cary, Antique Sound Labs, VTL, Manley, Audio Research, Conrad Johnson as these are mostly long standing companies. I'm leaving some out, but can dig up some more for you after you provide us with more info.
Good luck, Chris |
| I have tubes.....a few questions first........ | cooper24
Jun 12, 2002 2:50 AM | | Hi, thanks for your reply.
I will be using this system purely for music listening,
my other gears are Marantz CD63SE,MSB Link DAC III, and a pair of B&W DM602 S3(8ohm 90db). Currently I'm using a ss integrated amp.
I listen to a wide range of music and mostly to new age, dance, and pop.
My budget is about $1000 USD for either an integrated or pre/power seperates and i don mind buying the used.
As i'm a newbie here, i don know much about the tubes changing, but i'm willing to try out anything for a better sound. |
| Well................ | Chris Garrett
Jun 16, 2002 12:25 AM | | your speakers are moderately efficient and I know that the Nautilus series "N" likes the juice, but I'm not sure about your speakers in particular.
There are some nice I.A. amps by people like VTL, Cary, Manley, Antique Sound Labs, AES (Cary's budget line and very nice) Quicksilver and I believe Rogue. Whether or not you can get into a used model for a grand, I can't say and you'd have to check places like Audiogon, Audioshopper, Audioweb, AR and AudioAsylum's classifieds.
I'll tell you, if you can sell the SS unit and scrape some more cash together, check out Manley's Stingray as it might have enough power for you in TRIODE mode and certainly in Ultralinear. Gorgeous and well received sonically. If I were shopping for an I.A. amp, this would be the one. A striking piece of art, too.
Chris |
| re: newcomer seek help..... | Choobs
Jun 10, 2002 10:08 PM | | Go ahead and go tubes. I used to be with SS and home theater, but man, the sound of tubes is something else! It has a warmth and an engaging degree of musicality, soundstaging, a just-right feel (now this is objectively-for-me-only observation). The debates on which one is better, tubes or solid state will go on and on, so just do it and enjoy your music. It has it's own ambience.
I use Assemblage SET 300B Signature (Alesa VAIC and Mullard 5AR4 tubes) power amp with a Vacuum Tube Valley preamp (Tungsol JAN 6SN7s), and the big DIY Voigt Pipes for speakers. CD player is Ah! Tjoeb (Amperex PQ 6922 tubes). Interconnect is DIY Magnetwire, damn good detail for homemade.
The other system uses Audio Research Classic 60 power amp (GE JAN 6550s) . AR SP-6 preamp (Telefunken 12AX7 and Amperex PQ tubes), Sonus Faber Electa speakers, and same Ah! Tjoeb player. Interconnects are DIY Magnetwire, and Thermax with Nutrik connectors.
The third is an integrated HH SCOTT LK-72 vintage on Mission 771e speakers which I use in the province, player is a Yamaha CDX-493. Interconnect is Van den Hul D102 MK III.
In all 3 cases, each has it's own character but I have no complaints at all with tube systems. All are beautiful and I just enjoy the tube sound. |
| Some tips to help. | dr_no
Jul 11, 2002 4:23 PM | | Here is some good advice I think will help.
Being new, I would check out the audio stores first and maybe purchase. At least listen and find a brand to go with.
IF not, then:
1) Go with brand names to start off with.
2) Be careful of review magazines that advertise. I have personally been personally burned by two, and a third I heard about from another manufacturer.
3) Try to get independent reviews. By that I mean from customers who purchase the equipment. Be careful of posting boards. Some of them are recruiting sites for selling their wares.
4) This is very important. What brands have been compared to X brand that you are looking at? If some company advertises that their component sounds like one costing $1000's, that isn't saying much.
Notice the great brands are reviewed/compared against stiff competition in the magazines. If a company or reviewer gives no comparisons by using names, like comparison of X brand to Rogue99 (a high quality name), forget them. Try to also get this in writing with customer's names.
Are any specs given in writing? (Not that specs are the total picture, but do you want 5 or 10% distortion. It is quite possible with tubes?) Will they put the specs in writing? If not, I would walk away. In my opinion, there is NO reason not to give specs. They will give a thousand reasons not to. They simply won't do it.
5) Be careful of the "must upgrade" type of game. You buy something and next thing you know, you need to upgrade or purchase something else. You bought a cheap unit, and need to upgrade parts/tubes. That kind of trap. I don't mean it isn't fun, but when you get chinese tubes, well, you probably will need to upgrade.
Hope this helps. Please be careful. |
| |
