Tube amp for SDA

kn505
kn505 Posts: 380
edited November 2011 in Vintage Speakers
I am looking at the Cary Rocket 88R tube amp. It is rated at 30 wpc. Do you think it has enough power to drive either the 4.1TL or 2.3TL? If you have experienced running tube amps with SDA speakers, what impact to the sound as compared to SS amps?

Thanks.

PS. I am contacting Cary to see if the amp is common ground and if its negative posts can be strapped together.
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  • Joe08867
    Joe08867 Posts: 3,919
    edited October 2011
    My only worry is whether or not it is common ground other that that I believe you are in for some audio Nirvana.

    Had a very similar setup running 4.1TL CRS's and SDA2BTL's. I loved that setup and wish i still had it sometimes.

    The RD0198 and tubes are a match made in heaven as far as Polk's go. IMHO
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  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 50,566
    edited October 2011
    It will drive the 4.1TL's ok, but not the 2.3TL's.
    Political Correctness'.........defined

    "A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."

    President of Club Polk

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  • headrott
    headrott Posts: 5,496
    edited October 2011
    Unfortunately, Jesse is correct. Otherwise I would have bought the Cary amp a month+ ago.

    Greg
    Relayer-Big-O-Poster.jpg
    Taken from a recent Audioholics reply regarding "Club Polk" and Polk speakers:
    "I'm yet to hear a Polk speaker that merits more than a sentence and 60 seconds discussion." :\
    My response is: If you need 60 seconds to respond in one sentence, you probably should't be evaluating Polk speakers.....

    "Green leaves reveal the heart spoken Khatru"- Jon Anderson

    "Have A Little Faith! And Everything You'll Face, Will Jump From Out Right On Into Place! Yeah! Take A Little Time! And Everything You'll Find, Will Move From Gloom Right On Into Shine!"- Arthur Lee
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  • kn505
    kn505 Posts: 380
    edited November 2011
    Thanks very much for your quick advices. I was thinking of running it with the 2.3tl instead of the 4.1tl. How much more tube power do i need for the 2.3tl?

    PS. I got a re
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  • kn505
    kn505 Posts: 380
    edited November 2011
    Hit the wrong button and can't edit my post...

    Anyway, I got a reply from Cary and the Rocket 88R is common ground.
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  • dorokusai
    dorokusai Posts: 25,577
    edited November 2011
    It'll run it but you need more power to really get the 2.3TL to open up on tubes.
    CTC BBQ Amplifier, Sonic Frontiers Line3 Pre-Amplifier and Wadia 581 SACD player. Speakers? Always changing but for now, Mission Argonauts I picked up for $50 bucks, mint.
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  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 50,566
    edited November 2011
    How much more tube power do i need for the 2.3tl?

    Bare minimum, 100wpc. More would definitely be better.
    Political Correctness'.........defined

    "A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."

    President of Club Polk

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  • kn505
    kn505 Posts: 380
    edited November 2011
    100wpc tubes would cost more than a few mints? Any suggestions on some decent tube amps?
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  • dorokusai
    dorokusai Posts: 25,577
    edited November 2011
    Used Audio Research, Sonic Frontiers, Conrad Johnson, for example....the 100wpc comment was just a rough guideline since there are amplifiers that can throw some balls around with less religious intervention.

    I'm in the camp that too much is the best idea and I'm not building my system around a specific loudspeaker. I'd rather have too much than not enough, to drive whatever my heart desires, period.

    Yes, I've run Flea amps and many SET's...blah blah blah. If I want to enjoy 1 watt Superman justice and high wattage embarassment, that's easy to do, been there done that. I don't want to....its a choice to go balls to the wall if possible and there's nothing abnormal about it.

    Rock on, choose your path.
    CTC BBQ Amplifier, Sonic Frontiers Line3 Pre-Amplifier and Wadia 581 SACD player. Speakers? Always changing but for now, Mission Argonauts I picked up for $50 bucks, mint.
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  • stone of tone
    stone of tone Posts: 78
    edited November 2011
    Decware Torii MK III
    Sony Tport>Illuminati D-60>Audio Alchemy DTI-Pro>Prophecy Cryo-Silver Reference i2s>Audio Alchemy DDE 3.0 w/remote wand>Kimber Select 1030>Decware Zen Select Amp (SE84CS)>Kimber Select 3033> SDA 1/in Stereo only

    Sony Tport>IllumD-60>AA DTI Pro 32>AudMagicMysticRef i2s>AA DDE 3.0> Kimber Hero Int>Rotel RA-1062>Kimber Timbre>EmotivaXPA2>Kimber 8TC Speaker Cable>SDA SRS 1.2/use SDA always>Kimber 9033 to/hi Pass jumpers> Kimber PK10 Palladian Power Cord to Rotel
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  • stone of tone
    stone of tone Posts: 78
    edited November 2011
    Nothing abnormal about balls to the wall. However, if you want true timbre, depth of sound stage...........detail that will blow your mind.........only even order harmonics with no negative feedback is going to do that. SO, Decware Torii III. I don't work for them and Leben is cool too. BUT, the III does it all too! Stone.............enjoy life...................................
    Sony Tport>Illuminati D-60>Audio Alchemy DTI-Pro>Prophecy Cryo-Silver Reference i2s>Audio Alchemy DDE 3.0 w/remote wand>Kimber Select 1030>Decware Zen Select Amp (SE84CS)>Kimber Select 3033> SDA 1/in Stereo only

    Sony Tport>IllumD-60>AA DTI Pro 32>AudMagicMysticRef i2s>AA DDE 3.0> Kimber Hero Int>Rotel RA-1062>Kimber Timbre>EmotivaXPA2>Kimber 8TC Speaker Cable>SDA SRS 1.2/use SDA always>Kimber 9033 to/hi Pass jumpers> Kimber PK10 Palladian Power Cord to Rotel
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  • drumminman
    drumminman Posts: 3,396
    edited November 2011
    F1nut wrote: »
    Bare minimum, 100wpc. More would definitely be better.

    I'm powering my 2.3TL's with Odyssey Stratos Stereo w/ 120,000 uF cap upgrade, rated nominally at 150 wpc into 8 ohms, around 240 wpc 4 ohms. It does very well, clean with great imaging, but. . . . . . . . . . . .I think more power would be even better. I don't think you can over do it with gobs of clean, high current power.
    "Science is suppose to explain observations not dismiss them as impossible" - Norm on AA; 2.3TL's w/sonicaps/mills/jantzen inductors, Gimpod's boards, Lg Solen SDA inductors, RD-0198's, MW's dynamatted, Armaflex speaker gaskets, H-nuts, brass spikes, Cardas CCGR BP's, upgraded IC Cable, Black Hole Damping Sheet strips, interior of cabinets sealed with Loctite Power Grab, AI-1 interface with 1000VA A-L transformer
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