AMPS,AMPS and more AMPS!!!

Mikey081057

So I got this set of SDA SRS 2.3's a few weeks ago...Thanks again MLong! I have been playing them using my Parasound 2100 pre and my Yamaha M80 amp...The Yamaha has plenty of juice to easily drive the SDA's... but starting to wonder (aka itch) what other amp options may match up well with the SDA's.

I saw Ricks B&K 200.2 today and said wow!!! wonder how that would sound on my SDA's... I kinda like the look sound and build quality of the Parasound stuff and I have been doing quite a bit of reading and researching amps, have concluded that their are some deals on Parasound HCA's (I really like the HCA 3500 specs and reviews) but for the price of one of them I can get a Halo A21 B-stock unit if I throw another 5 Bens at it. Would the A21 be too much(overkill)? It might be the last amp I buy, and I may clear out some of my other stuff to offset the cost...and I would probably match it with a P5 pre which would be a very hot setup for sure.

Should I just leave it alone? and stick with the M80?

What's a Polkie to do?

Opinions?

Mike Reeter

The A-21 would not overkill at all, it will drive the 2.3's with ease and finesse. "When" I go back to separates, I will have a tubed preamp and an A-21, or maybe a Rogue ST-100 for power.

The A-21 in Black really trips my trigger!

george daniel

A 21 ,perfect match ,,get it!

Mikey081057

DSkip wrote: »

Have you tried the Yaqin on those big boys?

Just had the DMM out to test that it was common ground... and am going to...

Mikey081057

Mikey081057 wrote: »

Just had the DMM out to test that it was common ground... and am going to...

So I'll be dipped in S*&T...

How does a little POS 50 watt tube amp just blow a 250wpc out of the water from a sound quality perspective? Don't get me wrong the Yaqin with the combination or the Shuguangs and the Tesla's is very sweet but it just never dawned on me that it would have the current to drive the SDA's and was never in the equation. Everything is just some much more "alive" and the soundstage/SDA effect is much more present. From top to bottom a major improvement and now I am even more confused. Jeez it sounds great... now WTF?

ZLTFUL

All watts are not created equal.

As you have just found out.

My 30wpc tube hybrid sounded better, to my ears, than the 200wpc Adcom GFA-555 I compared side by side with it.

voltz

You all keep talking like that, you all will have everybody trading their SS for Tubes! well I got's me a hybrid so there!

Mikey081057

ZLTFUL wrote: »

All watts are not created equal.

As you have just found out.

My 30wpc tube hybrid sounded better, to my ears, than the 200wpc Adcom GFA-555 I compared side by side with it.

Thought that knew that... so what is the secret behind tubes.... is it something aliens brought down to us? Can tubes defeat Chuck Norris? What are the properties/specs that really matter... what is there to look for from a specs perspectives..I remember reading an article where one of the trade rags challenged Bob Carver to configure a relatively inexpensive amp to compete against a high end amp, and he blew it away...Can anyone suggest some good research reading for me to better educate me?

george daniel

Coffee can amp

Mikey081057

Even more incredible in triode mode... lovin it...and dead quiet noise floor

tonyb

Mikey081057 wrote: »

Thought that knew that... so what is the secret behind tubes.... is it something aliens brought down to us? Can tubes defeat Chuck Norris? What are the properties/specs that really matter... what is there to look for from a specs perspectives..I remember reading an article where one of the trade rags challenged Bob Carver to configure a relatively inexpensive amp to compete against a high end amp, and he blew it away...Can anyone suggest some good research reading for me to better educate me?

No secret behind tubes.....they simply sound great which is why they are still around. You just learned for yourself, by trying it for yourself, that all watts are not created equal. Yeah, a watt is a watt but the quality of that watt makes all the difference. That's why we stress quality over quantity.

Tube amps like all things audio vary in quality and sound too. Plus you have all sorts of tube variations, biasing, tube rolling to consider, not to mention some can be used as a space heater in the winter. Tubes let you tailor your own sound to a greater degree but that comes with additional costs and considerations as I already mentioned.

michaeljhsda2

Mikey081057 wrote: »

So I'll be dipped in S*&T...

How does a little POS 50 watt tube amp just blow a 250wpc out of the water from a sound quality perspective?

I believe it's high current. I was shocked as you are when 4 years ago I bought an early generation Yaqin MC-10L for 280 bucks, hooked it up to a pair of SDA2B's and was just blown away by how good they sounded. After about an hour of listening, I thought to myself, the SDA SRS 1.2TL's are rated at 50 - 1000 WPC with a sensitivity of 92 db (easy to drive) so why not hook it up to them. Suffice it to say I sold off all my SS gear and I haven't looked back. In addition to great sound and plenty of power to rock the house...there's no ear fatigue. I get a kick out of people that come over for a listen and they can't believe a 50 watt tube amp could sound that good. If they ever add a remote control feature to the MC-100B, I'll be on it like white on rice. Welcome to the world of tubes!

Polkie2009

Mike Reeter wrote: »

The A-21 would not overkill at all, it will drive the 2.3's with ease and finesse. "When" I go back to separates, I will have a tubed preamp and an A-21, or maybe a Rogue ST-100 for power.

The A-21 in Black really trips my trigger!

+1000 I think when Sumerian posted that picture of his black A-21 many of us fell in love with it.

marvda1

I owned the yaqin ms 20l and the mc 100b is much better sound wise. although you do lose the remote and headphone jack but I'm an old **** and remember the days when there was no remote, no cell phone and we made it through the day just fine.

Mikey081057

Polkie2009 wrote: »

+1000 I think when Sumerian posted that picture of his black A-21 many of us fell in love with it.

With the black P5.... man that is a sweet look

zingo

I agree that there is no overkill (says the guy running 800wpc to his speakers), as long as it's quality overkill. :twisted:

Mikey081057

zingo wrote: »

I agree that there is no overkill (says the guy running 800wpc to his speakers), as long as it's quality overkill. :twisted:

I use a sunfire tga-7401 with my 7 channel HT and it is a beast that runs cool... and great for HT... anything more would be extreme overkill