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I have a pair of Elac Solano FS287 floorstanding speakers which are currently driven by a Cayin push-pull tube integrated amp (40w UL / 22w Triode) in a 28' x 12' room, but I sit only about 8' from the speakers. So listening space is not large and I do not listen loud (max maybe 75-78 dB, typically less). My speakers are 4 ohm rated (3.5 ohm min), but a review says it is >= 5 ohm for most of the frequency range. Sensitivity is 87 dB.
My amp drives them with ease and room to spare. I get a full sound and good bass, but I also have a sub crossing in at 40 Hz. I recently tried out a class A SE amp where the power tubes are a pair of KT150 (input/driver tubes 6SN7s). It has both UL and triode modes. In triode mode (I am assuming this would be SET) it put out 18w / ch and it drove my speakers with ease as well with full clear sound and good bass. I did not keep it because I did not see more than a subtle improvement (if any) to my push-pull amp.
Can you recommend a SET integrated amp that would work for me? I am thinking of trying the Cary CAD-300SEI, but wondering if it will drive the speakers. Cary says that is the SE class A amp that I tried drove the speakers with ease, then CAD-300SEI will too, but the 300B is a much different tube than the KT150.
Please advise.
TIA.
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I. Dandaroy
Follow Ups:
Nt
Edits: 10/10/23
I would recommend the Coincident Frankenstein stereo amp - very powerful and can drive 5 Ohm load...talk to Israel and see what he says. Good luck. Paul
You should find someone to build you a SE 300B or Pete Millet's SE KT-88.
GEO, I can't seem to find a link to Pete Millett's SET KT88. Do you have a link?
I was always interested in this
I use 12 watt per channel amp on my 87dB sensitive speakers. 300B or larger tube amp should be good. Most 300B amps make 12 watts or higher.
BTW- forget pentode or heptode tubes wired as a triode.
Other than a 6CB5A, all my amps have pretty much been DHT. These are all of the amps I have owned. There are some missing...PP KT88 and 6336A Mono Blockshttps://gallery.audioasylum.com/cgi/upload.mpl
Edits: 07/21/22 07/21/22
KT88 is Not a Single Ended Triode (Which is usually referred to as a SET) - It is a Tetrode.
Edits: 06/28/22
I know it isn't. I have had 300B, 2A3, 845, 801A, 45, 183 and a VT52.
I can never understand how to run a KT88 (or any beam power tube or pentode) without feedback to keep the HD low. I know people do but when I tried it (PP KT88 triode connected in deep Class A) is sounded bad.
Tre'
Have Fun and Enjoy the Music
"Still Working the Problem"
Based on all your parameters - small room - you don't listen all that loud then a SET amp with the 4 ohm tap will drive you speakers just fine 8 watts should be no problem - I tried Line Magnetic 3 watt amplifier on ATC speakers and in a small room and not played too loud the sound was quite good indeed.
1 watt will play an 87dB speaker at 87dB at 1 meter or maybe 84-85dB and 2 meters. If you only play music in the 75dB range then most of the time you're never using even 1 watt whether it is a 3-watt amp or a 300-watt amp.
Classical music tends to have the biggest dynamic swings of 20dB but remember you are not likely playing the quiet passages at 75dB! You are probably playing the middle of the dynamic and so now the dynamic swing is maybe up to 85dB - again 1 watt is pretty close to being enough so 8 watts will be plenty.
And that assumes it's classical - the dynamic range of most other genres is lower.
The 300B is often viewed as a bit of a gentle lady-like tube type - the best ones like the Audio Note Meishu Tonmesiter can really thump for rock as well but are quite costly.
Line Magnetic was suggest and another might be Cayin and Melody Valve Audio.
If you don't want to buy from China like the above - have a look into ANKits which sells kits but for a nominal fee like 10% they will build it for you. In my comparisons they are a big step up over Cary for less money - but umm a bit ugly - kind of Frankenstein monster looking compared to a company that spends for looks.
The ANKit one has been selling for decades - You'll get better parts in Kits, generally, than finished products.
As Andy mentions below, you're pretty much in 845 territory. In regard to integrateds, probably look at what Line Magnetic has to offer for starters.
Some of the best SE amps aren't integrated, but surely it's no problem to add a passive preamp or whatever should this be the case?
The 300b can sound good, though for me it's rather warm and euphonic and I prefer the 2a3. But for power you'd be looking at an 845 amp. So look at various varieties of that. Whether it would sound better or not you'd have to determine by a home dem.
I think GM70 is likely a better choice...
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