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Tubes Asylum Questions about tubes and gear that glows. FAQ |
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Tubes Asylum Questions about tubes and gear that glows. FAQ |
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In Reply to: Conrad Johnson and tube question posted by Hamed on September 24, 2014 at 12:58:33:
I agree with the comments about Maggies not needing as much power as it is often mentioned that they do. I've used Maggies, along with mostly C-J gear, since the late 1970s. Not sure what that counts for, but there, I mentioned it. MG-IIBs, 1.6QRs, and MMGs. Nothing as big as the 20s. I've used them with as little as 35 wpc from a Dynaco ST-70, and up to several hundred wpc from some transistor amps.
I suggest that you can't have too much power, just more than you might need, but you can have too little power (and this situation is no fun). The ST-70 would often hit its head with the IIBs.
For C-J gear, I've been using a PV-12A for a long while, and like Dusty, MV-75/s, a Premier 11A, and Premier 12s. At one time I was using 2 MV-75s, for about 150 wpc, and I even used 4 Premier 12s for 140 wpc into each of the bi-wire/amp jacks on the Maggies. That last configuration was just a massive expense for no benefit. I discerned no difference between 2 and 4 Premier 12s, and have felt that for Maggies up to the size of the IIB or 1.6QR, 75 wpc as a minimum was plenty to keep them, and me, happy.
As a quick aside, I had an Odyssey Audio Stratos "Plus" and an Odyssey Audio Stratos "Extreme". Loved them. Thought they sounded great.
What to expect with C-J sonic character? There's a BIG range there. The different vintages of products can sound very different, and even different tubes in any one of these products can yield very different results. It can vary from dark, syrupy, and bloated, to cold and clinical. Then, there's just right... ;)
C-J gear can have a reputation for being "euphonic". Well, maybe. Certainly since the '90s, I'd say this just isn't accurate. The gear has tended to be more "neutral", and can be made more and less like this with some judicious, careful tube rolling.
Even my old MV-75 that I bought as a kid updated by Bill Thalmann I'd characterize as very neutral. The stock MV-75 certainly was/is not.
The big bit of advice, if I may, is to listen to the gear with your own ears in your own system. Oh, and have fun!
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Follow Ups
- RE: Conrad Johnson and tube question - tvr2500m 14:38:56 09/30/14 (0)
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