|
SET Asylum Single Ended Triodes (SETs), the ultimate tube lovers dream. |
|
|
|
SET Asylum Single Ended Triodes (SETs), the ultimate tube lovers dream. |
|
In Reply to: 2A3 SET & Quads ESL 63: YES!!! posted by banpuku on September 30, 2016 at 06:07:28:
This isn't much news to me - the only time I have ever liked Magnepan speakers was with the Audio Note SORO a Single Ended SEP amp. Weirdly - I am not a big fan of the SORO from Audio Note - probably my least favorite amplifier from them - but that combo worked really well. Much better than when I heard the same speakers with flagship amps from Bryston, Classe, Krell, and McIntosh. So go figure - 18 watts per channel. Give up some volume for quality; but, what are we audiophiles or boom car aficionados?
The same dealer also carries Quad (and formerly Acoustat and Martin Logan) and once again the Quad was magic with the Audio Note OTO a 10 watt SEP). No wonder Quad hired Audio Note's Andy Grove to design their flagship amplifiers!
It comes down to the quality of the output transformers and solid design. Then it's a matter of volume to spl ratio.
SS watts are dirt cheap. And no one can tell them apart in blind level matched sessions so even if the Krell at $20,000 is better than the Rotel at $2,000 it's not like the difference was massive - if it was - someone would take the million dollar challenge to pass the test from James Randi - no one has. So the difference at best is pretty small.
So buy that used Rotel or NAD (the ones (and there are ones) that put out 1kw at 1 ohm - used for $500 and now you have your big loud amplifier when you have your parties or you want to play your big music at big levels. For the other 90% of the music collection get your 8-10 watt SET amp and use that to listen for "quality". I have never heard a push pull amp beat a quality SET amp - and some SET amps are a LOT more powerful sounding than others.
I remember directly comparing the flagship Cary 300B to the Audio Note Kit One - same room same easy to drive speakers and what floored me was the astounding bass control and depth of the kit versus the flabby wooshy bass of the Cary (needless to say they no longer cary Cary). I like the Cary in the midrange up - sweet smooth lovely but man percussion, bass eesh. If I met the Cary first - I can tell you my opinion of SET amps would be a helluva lot different today.
The OTO with the Quad or B&W801 was strikingly good - but volume limited. And if you are paying that price for that set-up you have to have the volume too IMO. Solution - those cheapie 1kw amps. Or the expensive option is to buy monster 845 and 211. But a number of them aren't monster enough and they lose the finer points of lower power SET amps unless you spend big (Jinro/Tomei/Ongaku big). Even my LM 219IA isn't as refined as AN's entry OTO Phono SE. It is more powerful sounding though - but doesn't have quite the magic. So it goes. Can't get it all from one box.
This post is made possible by the generous support of people like you and our sponsors:
Follow Ups
- RE: 2A3 SET & Quads ESL 63: YES!!! - RGA 17:48:50 10/04/16 (0)
Top of Page ]
[ Contact Us ]
[ Support/Wish List ]
[ Copyright © 2024, Audio Asylum, all rights reserved ]
