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In Reply to: RE: Replace separates with integrated? posted by mtbikeNH on May 03, 2016 at 09:34:20
One thing I discovered when I moved from a good SS integrated (Plinius 9200) to a tube integrated (Cary SLI-80 Sig.) was that those who said you don't need as much tube power as when using SS to obtain similar volumes were telling the truth!
I haven't done a direct comparison with a SPL meter but the Plinius had 200 wpc and the Cary is 40 wpc in triode mode (which I use most of the time) and the Cary volume control is usually in the 8 o'clock to 10 o'clock position depending on source. The Plinius volume would be 10 o'clock to 10:30 o'clock for the same source material. My speakers' efficiency is 90 db.
Something to consider.
Follow Ups:
Volume knob position is not an indication of how one amp may be producing more or less power than another. The gain of the preamp section and amp section for each will vary as well as where the volume knob ends up for a certain SPL in your system.That being said, I'm real curious to know how your Cary SLP-80 sounds compared to the Plinius 9200. I'd love to try the SLP-80 someday as I've owned a few excellent Cary amps over the years. I'd like to try a Plinius amp too as I have never heard one.
My all time favorite 'affordable' tube amp was the AES/Cary SixPac monoblocks, each with 6 EL34 tubes in triode mode. These are wonderful sounding with EL34 magic. They rarely ever show up used anymore on Audiogon but were quite popular about a decade ago.
Edits: 05/10/16
Hi Abe,
Similar but different. The Plinius 9200 is a fine SS amp that doesn't sound so SS that a tube guy would dislike it. It is always at it's best when left "on" all the time, not in the "standby" mode. I learned that from old Harry Pearson articles about Plinius gear, tried it, and it's very true. It would still need about an hour at volume levels to sound it's best and really sing.
Warm-Up: The Cary is much better than the Plinius in the first hour and improves considerably after about 45 minutes but not as much as the 9200 did.
Audiophile stuff: The Plinius bested the Cary in dynamics and detail although I'm sure the Cary can reach closer in those areas with the right tubes -- it is very responsive to tube rolling. The Plinius produced a nice wide soundstage, 'maybe' even a little better than the Cary, but the Cary destroys it in soundstage depth. Imaging winner goes to the Cary.
Tonal accuracy: I'm not a musician so in my opinion, my opinion doesn't really count in this area. They both seem fine with the Cary obviously dependent on the tubes used.
I listen mostly to jazz these days so the Cary in triode mode really does it for me. It's even fairly good in triode when I listen to Hendrix or The Heavy, but I need to use ultralinear mode (80 wpc) to really get the leading edges and dynamics of (especially) electric guitars to sound right.
I don't listen to classical except for an occasional spin of The Planets, which is fine in ultralinear mode.
I sure wish I could have tried the AES SixPacs with a Cary SLP-05. It's a bummer that Cary no longer makes the SixPacs! I need to try the SLI-80 with EL34 tubes.
There's just something about tubes, they just sound right, although the 9200 never sounded "not right".
Terry
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