El84 amplifiers..recomendations? [Archive]

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philv

02-11-2018, 11:14

Hi,

I have never tried an el84 amplifier, and quite fancy scratching that itch.

Any recommendations or comparisons?

Thanks

hifi_dave

02-11-2018, 11:18

Quad VA-One. A lovely amp with an inbuilt DAC and headphone amp worth the price on their own. You get a free amp !!

EAR V12. Depending on budget.

struth

02-11-2018, 11:22

Quad VA-One. A lovely amp with an inbuilt DAC and headphone amp worth the price on their own. You get a free amp !!

EAR V12. Depending on budget.

quite fancy one of those too

gerlando

02-11-2018, 11:28

Audio Note OTO;
Leben CS300;
WAD Kel84;
Tube Technology Unisis;
CR Developments Kalypso.

philv

02-11-2018, 11:29

The quad looks interesting.
But tney didn’t exactly go overboard on inputs.

Quad VA-One. A lovely amp with an inbuilt DAC and headphone amp worth the price on their own. You get a free amp !!

EAR V12. Depending on budget.

philv

02-11-2018, 11:33

Audio Note OTO;
Leben CS300;
WAD Kel84;
Tube Technol

ogy Unisis;
CR Developments Kalypso.

Ah..actually i forgot, i had the oto ut had it briefly with snell a3, so itch not really scratched.

Any idea how the wad kel84 xl stacks up against tne oto and leben?

Ali Tait

02-11-2018, 11:45

Had a couple of WAD 84’s. Great little amp.

hifi_dave

02-11-2018, 12:23

The quad looks interesting.
But tney didn’t exactly go overboard on inputs.

For the majority it's adequate and if you are into digital, the DAC is excellent. You can pay 5 x the cost of this amp just for an inferior DAC.

walpurgis

02-11-2018, 13:33

Leak Stereo 20. No better example of a classic and great sound too.

Firebottle

02-11-2018, 17:58

+1 to that. Really really good performance.

Barry

02-11-2018, 18:11

+2 from me.

Actually apart from a pair of Mullard 5-10s I built years ago, the Leak is the only commercial amp I have heard that use EL84s.

Turned up the chance to buy one for £25! :doh: But I was young and couldn't afford it at the time.

oceanobsession

02-11-2018, 18:43

Manley stingray ,

Andy831

02-11-2018, 19:12

Decware Zen best amp I have heard provided your speakers are happy with less than 2 watts

Sherwood

02-11-2018, 19:30

I used to have a nice Antique Sound Labs Integrated using EL84s. Sold on this forum some time back.

Geoff

struth

02-11-2018, 20:36

Had a couple of WAD 84’s. Great little amp.

Had one too. Good little amp with a feeling of more power than it supposedly had.

goraman

04-11-2018, 05:23

My Manley labs Stingray has been amazing, the EL84 is a fantastic tube to run in a push /pull Triode amp. these amps are the sledge hammer and butterfly all in one.
The first gen Stingray is still the best of the bunch. It sounds best to me in Triode but can be run in Ultra Liner if you like. It can do 18 to 20 watts RMS in Triode and double that in UL.
I have heard EL84 SET amps with folded horns at 2.5 watts per side, in a small room they do ok, but nothing has the lower end extension of the Stingray or the Manley Labs Mahi mono blocks.
This one is like mine. https://www.audiogon.com/listings/lis975ji-manley-stingray-integrated-tube-amplifer-tube?creative=305983658573&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI9qH77v653gIVkLfsCh39IgdlEAQYBCAB EgKBuPD_BwE&keyword=

https://www.manley.com/hifi/mahi

I have had a lot of amps,they have come and went but I have kept this one because it sounds awesome, and is one of only two integrated amps I have ever loved the other uses 211 tubes and you could buy nearly 40 Stingrays for the same price.
Best tube complement Genulex Gold Lion N709/EL84 cryo treated, 6414 Ratheon 3 mica black plates, signal tubes: 12AT7 Tung sol 3 mica or 1950 RCA black plates ,Ei long silver plates also early 70's Westinghouse made in the U.S. not Taiwan, look for the dots at the top crown of the tube to prove real Westinghouse production.

AJSki2fly

04-11-2018, 06:54

I’ve owned 2 of these and they have a great sound, and not too expensive. This one is reasonably priced https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Audio-Innovations-Series-500-Tube-Amp-25wpc-Class-A-Amplifier-MM-Phono-Stage/173553709512?epid=218956569&hash=item28689b71c8:g:9ToAAOSw15ZbqNF8

goraman

04-11-2018, 08:35

philv

04-11-2018, 14:18

I have a primaluna prologue 2 at the moment.
It can take el34 5881 6550 gl6 etc.
Also kt88 kt66 etc.

What will give the closest sound to the el84 or is the most musical?
I don't need ultimate headroom or slam.

Bourney

04-11-2018, 17:09

None of those valves will give you the tinkly, chimey sound you get with EL84s. IMO KT88s sound solid-state-ish in their matter of fact type presentation, tidy, clean and punchy but lacking a bit of character. I could never get on with EL34 amps years ago but for some reason over the last few years, Ive started to favour them, if you get a decent set that are sweet yet punchy. The prima Luna never ceases to impress me im using mine with a set of Mullard EL34s in and it's superbly balanced.

philv

04-11-2018, 17:19

Thanks for tne reply.
I agree about tne kt88.
Great dynamics but not valvey enough.

As conincidenc has it, i’ve just bought some ‘65 mullard el34 over on the wam earlier today.
Quite excited.

None of those valves will give you the tinkly, chimey sound you get with EL84s. IMO KT88s sound solid-state-ish in their matter of fact type presentation, tidy, clean and punchy but lacking a bit of character. I could never get on with EL34 amps years ago but for some reason over the last few years, Ive started to favour them, if you get a decent set that are sweet yet punchy. The prima Luna never ceases to impress me im using mine with a set of Mullard EL34s in and it's superbly balanced.

Barry

04-11-2018, 17:30

walpurgis

04-11-2018, 17:37

Thanks for tne reply.
I agree about tne kt88.
Great dynamics but not valvey enough.

:scratch: How can it not be "valvey" enough, it's a valve?

Perhaps you mean it's too accurate sounding and not slack low down and rose tinted and blowsy through the mid. :)

philv

04-11-2018, 17:43

Exactly!

I went from an audio innovatns s700 with knackered mullard and other el34.
Sounded lovely

Swapped to john wood kt88 monos.
Superb, but couldn’t love them.

I need some nth order distortion or whatever to be happy.

:scratch: How can it not be "valvey" enough, it's a valve?

Perhaps you mean it's too accurate sounding and not slack low down and rose tinted and blowsy through the mid. :)

walpurgis

04-11-2018, 17:51

Have you ever heard the Quad 2 power amps? They may be exactly what you're looking for.

philv

04-11-2018, 17:58

I quite like the look of the quad ii classic integrated.
But spending mney like water at the moment.

Have you ever heard the Quad 2 power amps? They may be exactly what you're looking for.

walpurgis

04-11-2018, 18:02

I quite like the look of the quad ii classic integrated.
But spending mney like water at the moment.

That won't sound anything like the original 2 power amps. They are very sweet and ethereal through the mid and treble. Bass presentation is the opposite from the KT88.

philv

04-11-2018, 18:05

Iteresting.
I’ll keep those in mind long term.

That won't sound anything like the original 2 power amps. They are very sweet and ethereal through the mid and treble. Bass presentation is the opposite from the KT88.

Bourney

04-11-2018, 21:07

If you want sweetness and guile, think about an Almarro A318b.

anubisgrau

04-11-2018, 22:40

walpurgis

04-11-2018, 22:55

You could always look for a Beard Audio P35 power amp. That's got more EL84's than you can shake a stick at!

http://i66.tinypic.com/20f4vvp.jpg

goraman

05-11-2018, 04:23

Or the Audio Valve Toasters. 16 EL84's in 2 mono blocks.
Tell me they don't look like they belong on the kitchen counter!
They will make toast , i'm sure as they do put out heat.
And they really sound great , 75 watts EL84 heaven per side.
Electrostat guys covet these as they really don't mind large impedance swings.

AJSki2fly

05-11-2018, 06:48

Or there’s one of these.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20181105/6a21611bf2bbebe87e1484dce50d4688.jpg

walpurgis

05-11-2018, 08:56

I see no EL84's there?

anthonyTD

05-11-2018, 09:10

Had one of these on the bench recently, good amp once you sort out the often problematic bias circuit!
As for vintage amps, the Stereo 20 takes some beating, and as for the comment about KT88's, I best not comment any further on that one! ;)
You could always look for a Beard Audio P35 power amp. That's got more EL84's than you can shake a stick at!

http://i66.tinypic.com/20f4vvp.jpg

AJSki2fly

05-11-2018, 10:40

I see no EL84's there?

Photo is misleading I think, I have heard a pair of these and they are quite magnificent, a bit pricey though. Spec below is from Jardis web site. http://www.jadis-electronics.com/en/845nec-37.php

SPECIFICATIONS
Type Monoblock power amplifier pure class A
Bias Autobias
Power 40W class-A
Bandwidth 20Hz to 22kHz
Sensibility 1V
Number of blocks 2
Tubes list 845 x 4 EL84 x 4 ECC82 x 2 ECC83 x 2
Dimensions 68x30x29 cm
Weight 40 Kg per bloc
Consumption 250W each
DESCRIPTION
The 845NEC provides 40W per channel in pure class A using 1 ECC83, 1 ECC82 2 EL34 and 2 single ended 845NEC per channel.The 845 push-pull brings twice more power than the SE845 while keeping details and musicality.

REFERENCES
When we last visited France we heard those those mono amps, which sounded so good that we are certain they represent without a doubt the very top of this application.
"Absolute Sounds ltd"

Review "Haute Fidélité" (In French)
http://www.hautefidelite-hifi.com/index.php/bancs-dessai/22-pre-amplis-amplis/230-jadis-jp2-se845-nec

AJSki2fly

05-11-2018, 11:36

Acoustic Masterpiece AM-201 despite its name is truly phenomenal parallel push pull amp based on 2x EL84 per channel, if this is not enough for your speakers, change them. It's Air Tight subdivision with similar quality of execution.

I was racking my brains for this one, it comes highly recommended as a very musical amp from a specialist dealer http://global.airtight-am.net/products/am201h.html

philv

05-11-2018, 12:05

I’ll take tne jadis please.
Is tnere a finance plan available?

AJSki2fly

05-11-2018, 12:09

I’ll take tne jadis please.
Is tnere a finance plan available?

I think they retail for around a mere £29k, I’m sure Mik of Unique Audio could up with some arrangement. [emoji2][emoji33]

Sixty2

05-11-2018, 16:33

I have an Audio Note EL84 Signature power amp which I use with ANJ’s. It’s all a matter of taste, but for the dosh, pretty much knocks the socks off most amps I’ve heard. It’s a keeper!

philv

07-11-2018, 15:13

Well, the el84 itch will have to wait.

This week i have received snell k sn-spe wired, mullard el34 xf2, and an achromat 3mm.

Skint and hapoy.