Valve amps, great with Jazz, shit with everything else.

[enrae8]

I think it's more to do with valve amplifier design, a lot of single ended amps sound good with simple music, anything really dense and complex, not so good.

As for sounding good with jazz? Nice... Really Nice. Great!

I get what you’re saying

[User211]

Low output is a problem with many valve amps.

I have heard AN/Es with a lot of very high priced Audio Note UK amps.

But when I plugged my 80 Watt 211 monos into a pair they just blew me away. Never heard them sound so good. Those monos can peak at 170 Watts.

The best AN amp I have heard on AN/Es was a 211 design. I documented it on this forum.

In all honesty I really think a lot more power is required than many of the AN amps actually provide for their own loudspeakers. Though the 211 AN amp was very good, even more power brings things even that very high priced item could not manage.

[chris@panteg]

Not sure if I can agree with that?
With the 211 there is a trade off, you get much more power but the mids are not as good.
But horses for courses.

Nik nack no! Yes.!

[AJSki2fly]

Just to wade in my 2 penny worth, there is imho a load of Bollox talked about power and valve amps. If the valve amp has good design and good transformers it will give a good result. Most people in normal listening conditions are unlikely to demand more than 1-2watts from their amp, with occasional higher demands. So most good valve amps can meet what is called for, obviously if you pair one up with poorly designed inefficient speakers then it will be an issue.

I am sure a few others can confer.


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[Gazjam]

Just seen this thread.

From direct experience,
Hand on heart, I can’t agree that valve amps are shit for anything except “Jazz...or girl with a Guitar” type music?
Word to the wise...That’s just something you read on the Internet.

Had a SET 300B poweramp that volume wise I couldn’t get past 10 o’clock on different preamps, any more and the picture frames in the room started rumbling.
And that put out 8 or 9 watts depending on how you measured it.

All about power supply regulation and the iron used.
Best power amp I’d ever heard never mind owned, and I’ve been to a few high end shows, only sold because cost of ownership at 1K+ a year for glass over time was above my pay grade.

Another Word to the wise...Like all things in Hifi...”it depends”.

[User211]

Not sure if I can agree with that?
With the 211 there is a trade off, you get much more power but the mids are not as good.
But horses for courses.

Nik nack no! Yes.!

Hm.

Much depends on which brand of 211s and which brand of 300B or 2A3 or whatever tubes you are using with said amps.

Put it this way, the owner had been through loads of expensive AN amps and stopped on the 211s.

Also uses a Pass solid state class A amp last time I heard, which was a few months ago.

[chris@panteg]

Hm.

Much depends on which brand of 211s and which brand of 300B or 2A3 or whatever tubes you are using with said amps.

Put it this way, the owner had been through loads of expensive AN amps and stopped on the 211s.

Also uses a Pass solid state class A amp last time I heard, which was a few months ago.

Well that's one person's choice and taste! And if I could afford to experiment like that?
I use a Puresound 2a3 amplifier with a maximum power output of 18w and it's entirely adequate with my Living voice Avatars with plenty of grunt.
Sounds great with jazz, classical, acoustic music and hard rock, prog rock in fact just about anything sounds good.
Only amplifier I'd swap it for is one of the the Border Patrol amp's.

[Bourney]

I get where you're at Mike, ive gone back and forth with typical valve and SS combos. I dont listen very loud and I've found every SS set up (with the exception of sugden a21) sounds more controlled, tidier and able to play louder more comfortably but something is always missing, particularly at the levels i listen at, and I cant even describe what it is! Once I go back to the valve set up, everything feels more right. I have an AN amp and speakers. However I do get why people wouldn't like this sound. All set ups are compromised, its just which set of compromises you can live with I guess.
I'm due to punish myself trying to convince myself i like a SS set up soon : D

[Mikeandvan]

I get where you're at Mike, ive gone back and forth with typical valve and SS combos. I dont listen very loud and I've found every SS set up (with the exception of sugden a21) sounds more controlled, tidier and able to play louder more comfortably but something is always missing, particularly at the levels i listen at, and I cant even describe what it is! Once I go back to the valve set up, everything feels more right. I have an AN amp and speakers. However I do get why people wouldn't like this sound. All set ups are compromised, its just which set of compromises you can live with I guess.
I'm due to punish myself trying to convince myself i like a SS set up soon : D

Indeed, I'm having to switch between SS and valve at the moment, wish I had two listening rooms!

[Mikeandvan]

Been listening to the Audio note Soro for a few weeks now, from memory not much difference between it and the AI S500, though will have to plug that back in to check. Perhaps the Soro is more of an all rounder, but anyway its sounding great, and I definitely love valves/AN J/ Snell type speakers with jazz, depending on the CD or recording it almost sounds as if there is a jazz combo in my living room. Pretty good with some pop stuff as well like Dusty, Scott walker. Not tried it too much with vinyl as I still haven't got around to getting a new cart.