[Electron Mitigator]

Looking to see what some of the favorite audio tube amps are. I have been listening to tube amps exclusively for that last 20 years. Before that I listened to solid state amps as well, but for many types of music they never sounded as open and airy as the tube amps. I guess that is the difference between electrons flying through space or through the solid material of a transistor. So far I have found that the simplest designs in general sound the best. Would like to hear other opinions and maybe some pictures of the circuits if available.

 

[BournePerfect]

Eddie Current Studio B.

 

[paradoxper]

You should really decide on your drivers first before expanding to esoteric amplification consideration.

 

[Electron Mitigator]

You should really decide on your drivers first before expanding to esoteric amplification consideration.

That is kind of the point of my query. I want to see what the general favorite amps are and then see what tubes they are using. Everyone out there that is half knowledgeable in electronics knows how to match transformers, drivers and output tubes and some circuit designs will be better than others. The thing I am looking for is what tubes, out of everything out there, are the most hi-fi. My uncle was a tube amp guru. He used to talk about tubes like they were the engine of a car. He was constantly trying different tubes in circuits looking for something better, or more unique, than the last. It was a lot of trial and error, I am sure, but without people like him we probably wouldn't even be using some of these tubes. My favorite amp, which he built, uses subminiature tubes in part of its design that haven't been made since 1959. There are new tube amps coming out every year, but there hasn't been a new tube developed since the 80's. I would like to see what tubes, in the finite list, have been tried and found to be great.

 

[Nada]

I want to see what the general favorite amps are and then see what tubes they are using.

Welcome to Head-fi

That's a really good question. Don't worry about the negativity about defining the cans first. That would narrow down the feedback too much.

It would be good if folk would talk about the headamp, the tubes and the cans.

 

[bagwell359]

Best tube amp: Jadis 845SE monoblocks $25k in 1992.

Best SS amp: Krell KSA-100 or Pass X-350

Best real world amp: Pass X-150 sliding bias Class A, can be had used for about $2250, accurate, musical, potent - same sound top to bottom - no speaker tube amp can do that - except the Jadis that I've heard. I owned a VTL 845 amp, ARC v52, Dyna VI, and half owned a Jadis JA-100, none of them was coherent from top to bottom. The music does live in the mids - but not all of it, and retubing behemoth amps especially with NOS stock is a very expensive hobby. This opinion was formed with speakers like Magnepan MG-II, DQ-10, ProAc EBS, KEF 105, Duetta, ML CLS IIz, etc.

Pre-amps and small signal amps - they can be coherent from top to bottom. Happy with my DIY BHCs, even though the bass is sort of lumpy, but makes my HD-600's happier than any SS I've heard with it.

Heaphone amps: Tubes and hybrids are a better fit for headphones than monster tube amps driving a panel that is 85 db/1m/1w. All the , etc. 7/8 wpc class A 300 tube - like Carys are quite amazing in the midband, but highs and low? Lots of HD. For speakers - horns - some love 'em, not my taste...

 

[sacd lover]

Custom build PP amp using 5HA7 drivers(1/2 12ax7 and 1/2 12au7 using compactron base) > 10GKG output tubes x 4 (10 volt version of 6GK6 which is an uprated 6BQ5) and 6AX3 half wave damper diode rectifiers with compactron bases x 2. Uses all repurposed Hammond organ transformers.

Custom build 12SN7 x 2 > 6L6 x 2 SEP amp and headphone amp using 32 ohm output transformers from an old reel to reel deck for headphones. Wonderful with Senns and Grados. Cannot drive Orthos .... just not enough current delivery. Sound great as a speaker amp with EV's or Frazier Mk 4.

Custom build PP amp with 7N7 loctal gain tube> 6GU7 x 2 inverters > 10GK6 x 8 output tubes. Gives me 35 wonderful watts using repurposed Conn organ power and output transformers.

Custom build PP amp using 5HA7 described above > 14C5 x 8 (12 volt version of 7C5 which is a loctal version of the 6V6). 24 watts with Hammond power transformer and Conn output transformers.

Use Bozak B-302/ 1960 and the smaller B-313/ 1967 (same drivers and x-over much smaller cabinet), Frazier Mk4, Speakerlab Model 4 and Model 6, Electro Voice Sentry 1 /1962 16 ohm and Sentry 1A / 1971 8 0hm. Both EV are (97 db/1 watt/ 1 meter) and finally a no name vintage speaker using all Phillips drivers that is very high sensitivity and extremely good sounding. Bozaks are my favorites though. All these speakers have had the crossovers rebuilt with good poly caps (no eletrolytics) and 1 % resistors. Any bad drivers replaced (looking at you Bozak tweeters).

 

[sacd lover]

Actually now that I think about it my all time favorite tube headphone amp was a heavily modded Singlepower Supra using a 7N7 via adapter for gain > 6BL7GT x 2 or 6BX7GT x 2 output tubes. Huge power and the best dynamics I have ever heard from any amp but still refined and very open sounding. Close to 2 watts per channel at 300 ohms. No Sennheiser veil with this amp.

 

[UntilThen]

Odyssey using Telefunken EL11 (drivers) and Telefunken EL12 spez (power), 5u4g rectifier.

...... with Susvara and Yggdrasil OG.

 

[ardbeg1975]

Eddie Current Studio B.

I second that.

 

[michael2v]

Tor Audio Roger with stock tubes.