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Hi,
I am hunting around for a 100 watts tube amp for my Tannoy DC 10" Turnberry SE speakers. The original EAR 509 has some promising reviews but there is also a reissue of this amp now. Whats your take on the latest version ? Is there any improvement over the original amp or is it just a remake ? I am also considering the Zanden Model 6000 which is rated around 90 watts.
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I owned the originals, and they were a true pain to bias - - had to open the bottom of the amp up and run it on its side, using all three of your hands to touch the two probes onto the right spots on the circuit board and also adjust the trim pot. As I only have two remaining hands, this was tricky (even trickier was convincing a family member to offer the third hand for this clearly dangerous undertaking!).
The new accessible trim pot and probe points is a good move forward. EAR's philosophy is pretty much parts is parts, and I don't believe they upped the parts quality in the reissue.
Nice sounding amps, overall, really open and powerful, great bass for tubes. A bit on the lean/bright/detailed side IME. Replacement tubes are getting to be harder, I believe.
Interesting -- my experience was "rolled off & slightly dead on top". But I agree with you about impressive bass.
Jeremy
"using all three of your hands to touch the two probes onto the right spots on the circuit board and also adjust the trim pot"
It was only dangerous because you were doing it in the most hazardous manner possible. Both the connections for the bias should have been CLIPPED to the DVM before the unit was powered up. For safety you should only have ONE HAND in the powered on amplifier at a time and that hand should be adjusting the bias with a plastic screwdriver. The other hand should be behind your back. This is standard safety procedure.
You suggested method is not news to me, but my amps only had smooth circuit board traces where you pressed the probe tips to get your readings, nothing where you could clip onto. Truly a serious design flaw in my book.
Years ago I had a pair of Cary 100 monoblocs. The bias pot control was located INSIDE the chassis. I soon drilled a hole in each one and remounted the bias pot with the control top side. Not that big of a chore, but why would an otherwise intelligently designed device be produced with such an inconvenience?
"The piano ain't got no wrong notes." Thelonious Monk
All double-action iron-frame pianos are tuned to 'equal temperament.'
So they will actually have quite a few wrong notes, audibly so, to me.
Warmest
Tim Bailey
Skeptical Measurer & Audio Scrounger
Oops, too late for that . . .
But if you were a fan of his music you would understand his meaning.
"The piano ain't got no wrong notes." Thelonious Monk
Yep. Had a Cary SLA-70 Sig. years ago and it was the same story. Probably would have put up with the inconvenience if it had beat out my CJ MV50. But it wasn't even close, the CJ was the far sweeter amp and very convenient to bias.
What preamp will the power amp be mated with (in the case of the 509)? Details of other system components and musical tastes, room size etc. may help inmates advise you.The Turnberrys are very sensitive (Tannoy quote 93dB) so is there a particular need for circa 100w /channel? As the Zanden specifications give no distortion figures even though power output is shown as 90 watts, 100 watts maximum, I would query the actual output as judged by conventional standards.
I don't know the prices that you pay in India but here (UK), the Zanden 6000 is twice the price of the EAR 509 which would be a significant matter when making a choice, at least for me. However the two products are not strictly comparable the Zanden 6000 being described as an integrated amp and the EAR 509 being a pair of mono power amps.
The new 509 is not just a simple remake of its predecessor having a smaller chassis and an LED display for tube biasing which I don't recall the earlier ones having (I may be wrong). It certainly benefits from a 30 year history of manufacture and the lessons learnt by EAR Yoshino over that time, particularly for matters such as reliability.
Edits: 06/30/16
I use a tricked out Garrard 301 and Nantais Reference Lenco as source. The phono stage is a 47 Labs phonocube. Preamp currently is a Klyne System 7. I may go with a tube preamp if required.
I listen to almost every variety of music except Opera. I prefer my system to be open, dynamic and tonally correct. PRAT has to be spot on else I lose connection with music quickly.
Even though Turnberry is rated at 93db I have observed that they like to be driven and controlled. Small amps quickly lose steam with this speaker especially controlling the 10" driver. I am not a soft listener either. Hence the amp has to be totally in control while doing 95-100 db SPLs.
100 watts seems to be sweet spot in my opinion.
Zanden is in the run up because there are couple of used ones available. It can be used as a power amp too. If it turns out to be a really good as an integrated amp then I can sell of my preamp.
The primary reason I am interested in the 509 is its legacy as a top quality studio amplifier and that too using vacuum tubes. I anyway do not want my amp to impose its signature as much as possible and it is always better to err on the tube side than SS side.
" The primary reason I am interested in the 509 is its legacy as a top quality studio amplifier and that too using vacuum tubes. I anyway do not want my amp to impose its signature as much as possible and it is always better to err on the tube side than SS side."
Then the 509 might be your best choice of the two. But I think that mating it with , say, an EAR 868 ( OK, my choice) may suit you better than with a SS pre-amp. Then again the selection of tubes is another variable.
nt
The 509 MkII's also had the LED for biasing. Much easier to work with than the Mk I's. Had the MkII's for several years. Did not hear that as a bright speaker, at all. Powered GamuT L5s and sounded very nice.
Power is not the issue with sensitive speakers; system gain is. Many high sensitivity speakers perform better with more power from SS amps. Some mfrs make low-gain amps (although I only know of Audio Note UK).
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