Valve amplifiers

[sarnies]

Just noticed that this thread has re-surfaced with lots of techno speak which, unfortunately, goes way over my head!!

Anyway, thought I'd update my original post from 2010.

I decided to go for a low cost introduction to valves and bought an ST25 valve integrated from Icon Audio coupled with a pair of their MFV6 standmount speakers (MFV = made-for-valves) having spent a fab day in David Shaw's wonderful demo room. During the intervening period I've got through a number of front ends both analogue and digital. I've also replaced the MFV6's with a lovely pair of Celestion DL10 Series 2 speakers aquired from BlackAdder, tried some Castle Chester floorstanders but returned to the DL10's.

I love where I'm at right now. I can't describe sound quality in audiophilic terms, suffice to say this combo is open and airy, sweet and relaxing, there's a supernatural quality which is difficult to define. I have room issues which spoil the bass frequencies but I'm trying to resolve these.

Whenever I'm tempted to do a little box-swapping I simply play music and chill!

A huge thanks to everyone who helped me on my way.

[lurcher]

For collecting experience higher power tube amps give the chance to try them with different speaker sets. For example I own three sets of speakers, I can test one amp with all three sets, maybe one combination is just the perfect fit. If I go at the task with a 2x3W amp I cannot really use my 90db speakers with them, and future speakers will have to forfill a minimum of x db at the least.

You might be pleasantly surprised how well a 35w valve amp will drive 90dB speakers, depends on the sort of load they present.

[Marco]

Indeed, Nick. My 30W (before it was modded to 50W) Class A P/P Copper amp drove my 90db Spendor SP100s for long enough, no problem, before I got into big Tannoys!

Here's a pic of me old Spends:





No problem getting 'stupid' levels out of them with this chap:





Unfortunately, there's a lot of bullshite written about what speakers valve amps can and can't drive!

Marco.

[Reid Malenfant]

Marco, your room is smaller than mine I reckon (looking at those 12" bass drivers)

Good for deep bass then, as room modes are out of the window


One day they will understand, they being non sheeple

[Marco]

Hi Mark,

The room ain't big, but she's perfectly formed...

I totally agree with where you're coming from, regarding deep bass. The Spends could kick it out, bigtime, and I loved using them for years, but the Lockies took things into a whole new dimension!

Marco.

[SPS]

Hi Mark,

The room ain't big, but she's perfectly formed...

I totally agree with where you're coming from, regarding deep bass. The Spends could kick it out, bigtime, and I loved using them for years, but the Lockies took things into a whole new dimension!

Marco.

I'll be converting our spare room in to a dedicated hifi room this next winter,
my issue is that it may be a little on the small side, at just under 15x10, my speakers are around the size of yours marco, so i'm hopeing it works ok, the room needs alot of work before i move in so unable to test beforehand, but i know your room worked very well.
so fingers crossed...

nicks 35 watt SE amp drove a pair of massive pair of low efficiency speakers at our last diy meet, filling a large room (around 60'x90')with nightclub levels ...
unfortunatey for nicks very, very clean and detailed sounding amp.. those big low effieciency speakers at nightclub levels was not so clean sounding at all, but still his 35 watts was so much better than the big ss amp used beforehand


cheers...

[nightyy]

Just wanted to come back to report that I had an intermezzo with a PP Melody SP3 MkII (which was good, but did not make me happy), and now own a Alex Ederer 300B SE with Sophia Electric 300B/n valves, and that is just much more the real thing music wise: It just sounds right.