[Distroyed]

So what's the next best and cheapest upgrade over the mg head otl as far as tube amps go that sound great with the senn650's?

 

[Sovkiller]

The OTL32 IIRC......

 

[sacd lover]

Singlepower PPX3.

 

[Jim R]

"So what's the next best and cheapest upgrade "


This is a bad and expensive habit - of upgrading in babysteps. I know, I have been there and done that.

Sometimes it is better (and cheaper in the long run) to enjoy what you have and save money untill you can upgrade to an amp that will satisfy you for the long haul.

Just a thought. By the way, I went from a MG Head to a Earmax Pro with my HD-600's. This was 2 years ago and I am still very content.

 

[GlowWorm]

The MG-Head OTL32 would be the obvious choice. But the Moth Roach may be an option too, if and when it becomes available.

 

[kentamcolin]

I M O, read this thread, look no further.

http://www5.head-fi.org/forums/showt...threadid=61457

 

[Nick Dangerous]

Audiovalve RKV and be done with it.

Actually, the MG Head OTL32, Singlepower amps, and the new Moth HD300 are making me very curious... haven't heard those yet. I'd be surprised if they could "out-RKV" the RKV.

 

[Distroyed]

Well I'll be a college mcgraduate come summer, and I'll be making some expensive purchases (most notably, a car)... so I won't really be able to blow my load till the end of the year. That hd300 is making me curious though. About the price of a new mg head mk3 but sounds much better with stock tubes? Im into that.

I should have mentioned my source, an RME digi96/8 PAD, and I don't really have intentions of upgrading that for quite some time, if ever. Does that limit the price I would want to spend on an amp, since it's not the best source in existence?

 

[Distroyed]

Oh, and Nick, I noticed in your sig you've linked Musical Starstreams site. Sucks they don't offer downloadable mp3's like they used to. But how do tube amps sound with such electronic music? Better than an equivalent solid state? I listen to a lot of electronic music, both sides of the spectrum, but Im particularly curious as to how ambient/minimal sounds tubed.

 

[Nick Dangerous]

I think it sounds great with both. I personally prefer tubes because they give Tangerine Dream-esque artists a kind of organic goodness on analog synths... almost like they are living, breathing organisms. Steve Roach is also perfect with tubey goodness since he blends organic noises into his soundworlds.

Generally, I prefer solid state with "pure", modern electronic music like Kraftwerk & techno dance stuff. Older synth work (Moog era) is much better with tubes.

"Analog for analog, digital for digital."

The same principle applies to speaker building. "It takes wood to make wood"... refers to why violins and woodwinds sound better out of wood speaker cabinets that resonate vs. "dead" materials like MDF.