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What amp do you use for your Merlin TSM speakers? I sort of know what Bobby recommends, but what do you actually use? Anyone using Audio note amps to drive their TSM? Thanks.
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You'd definitely want to listen to a production model Audio Note amp with the speaker in question. The if it worked out well you could certainly be safe with a kit.
The OTO SE which I have uses EL84 tubes and is rated at possibly a generous 10 watts in the sense that the number with no audible distortion is probably half that rating (at least according to the measurements done by Hi-Fi Choice).
Basically they're designed for their own speakers and more efficient speakers.
Audio Note typically doesn't make the flea powered SETs so in that regard they're more robust than many - and the OTO PP was quite happy driving the Quad 2905 for example. Both amps have 4 ohm taps.
If Merlin recommends 5-15 watt amps the the Audio Note's will likely be fine - but if they recommend 50 watts+ as many makers do then it might be advisable to heed the warning. I love Audio Note tube amps but with the wrong speaker match the result would not be too pretty.
As a far more powerful option and still sounds quite good is the lesser known Grant Fidelity Rita. This integrated has peaks of 450 watts and will be happy driving virtually any loudspeaker. It's a bit more than the OTO and perhaps a little less finesse and smoothness of the OTO but it has far more power and drive and will be better suited driving less efficient loudspeakers. Not to mention it has the build quality of amps many times their price - looks nice and is built like a tank. Having to lug a 100+ pound amp around was not fun but the sound sure was. You'd be hard pressed to find a better tube amp for lower efficient speakers for the money than the Rita. It even looks nice and runs cool.
You might be able to negotiate on price as well as they often have promotionals as they're a relatively new company looking to grow. Though they may have already passed that stage.
You can read my reviews of the OTO and the Rita at www.dagogo.com if it helps.
I've tried the Audio Note Oto with the Merlin TSM-M and it was a poor match. It played loudly enough but everything had a compressed sound.
Edits: 01/12/09
Hi sheppard, did you try the SE version or the PP version of Oto? Thanks.
I used it with the Audio Note Oto SE.
Hi Sheppard,
I have an OTO PP with the AN/J-LX, it plays in way unbelievable sweet and powerful (better to say: physical) when it serves. middle and high frequencies rich and as the silk, perhaps it is until too much transparency.
Can I ask because a 10w el84 se tries him if with some mini monitors with 87db of sensibility?
do we want it stuffed badly? or do I discover a new world?
Has someone felt it with the Rogers LS3/5a? I am curious
scuse me for my english!
hi fabio
I'm sure the TSM's would sound better with better amplification, but it sure sounds good to me.
I am not denegrating Merlin speakers. As the previous poster indicated, the issue may be impedance matching + sensitivity. The Merlins, while not difficult to drive at all, are not as sensitive as AN speakers.
"Live free or die"
Thanks for your comment. I was thinking if 25W from mini-mono is powerful enough, 18W from AN Kit2 should be OK. Or is it not that simple?
No, there's more to it You really should talk with the mfr. and give him the specs of the amp he asks for. If you can, the best is to listen to the combo yourself. Tube gear clips softly, though, not like ss. You also want to see how this works on fast, complicated symphonic music.
"Live free or die"
AS always with Merlin questions, I recommend that you call Bobby and get the scoop from the horses mouth (sorry Bobby). If you are looking to get optimum results from your Merlins, use equipment that he's had the opportunity to tweek to the nth degree, that being the Filarmonia integrated amp. Yes, there is a waiting list, but its worth the wait. I ccurently use the Filarmonia with VSM-MXEs.
If you are going to use a high output impedance amplifier (e.g. Audio Note, Shindo) into a low impedance speaker, then it is absolutely imperative that you listen before you buy or at least get some testimonials as the amplifiers being recommended here will definitely modify the response (i.e. change the tone) of the speaker.
Music making the painting, recording it the photograph
Thanks for your comment. Could you please clarify what you mean by high impedance amp? I thought the amps have 8ohm output tap which should match the 8ohm speakers? And I am more thinking about the AN Kit2 which has 15-18W output rather than the 300B amps.
The output tap simply corresponds to the audio transformer windings that provide "optimal" power transfer for a given speaker's nominal (i.e. average) impedance. the output impedance corresponds to the impedance that the amplifier presents to the speaker during this power transfer process. There is a inverse relationship between the output impedance of an amplifier and the frequency response (i.e. tone) of any speaker, its most pronounced when high output impedance amplifier (most modern tube amplifiers) feeds a low input speaker. In the golden days of tube audio, high input impedance speakers (12 ohms and greater) were commonplace to counteract this effect.The AN Kit2 is almost certainly a high output impedance design (given their design philosophy) therefore it will most certainly modify the tone of the speaker, you should try and establish whether this change in tone is to your liking.
Furthermore, you may want to confirm that the power amplifier has sufficient power to drive the speaker during musical peaks otherwise the combo would sound very compressed on a variety of recordings.
Music making the painting, recording it the photograph
Edits: 01/13/09
Thanks for your explanation. It is good to know more before I spend the money!! Bobby - did you recommended amps with high output impedance (low damping factor?) for your speakers? Like OTL? Or am I missing something?
NT
nt
I use a Leben CS600. earlier ran it with a Sugden A21
What are your options ?
Does the Leben sounds good (and is it reliable)? I am currently using the Quicksilver Mini-mono and I am keen to go to an integrated (to keep things simple). I have trouble finding something that does not cost me signficantly more to beat the quicksilver.
And I am just curious on what other people are using. Thanks.
Its very very good and has good synergy with the Merlin (the stock Sovtek tubes need to be replaced though) ! The build quality is excellent. I have yet to hear of any reliability issues on Leben while I was researching for an Amp. did you hear anything about it ?The best option is an Ars Sonum but the wait time can be killing. another otpion is manley or a de Havilland.
Audio note may not provide synergy ..as mention in one of the posts, merlins althugh not hard to drive, may need more power.
Edits: 01/12/09 01/12/09 01/12/09
I'm using a Ars-Sonum Filarmonia.
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