Powering Monitor 10's with small tube amp
halo71
Posts: 4,603
I have pretty much zero experience with tube amps and home audio. Tube amps and guitars....got that. But I need some words of wisdom. Can Monitor 10's or Monitor 7's be driven okay with the amp in the link below. I don't listen to music cranked to 11 anyways. But could this amp, I think 7 watts, be happy with these speakers?
http://www.siliconray.com/6n8p-fu-7-tube-amplifier-kit.html
http://www.siliconray.com/6n8p-fu-7-tube-amplifier-kit.html
--Gary--
Onkyo Integra M504, Bottlehead Foreplay III, Denon SACD, Thiel CS2.3, NHT VT-2, VT-3 and Evolution T6, Infinity RSIIIa, SDA1C and a few dozen other speakers around the house I change in and out.
Onkyo Integra M504, Bottlehead Foreplay III, Denon SACD, Thiel CS2.3, NHT VT-2, VT-3 and Evolution T6, Infinity RSIIIa, SDA1C and a few dozen other speakers around the house I change in and out.
Comments
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Anyone?--Gary--
Onkyo Integra M504, Bottlehead Foreplay III, Denon SACD, Thiel CS2.3, NHT VT-2, VT-3 and Evolution T6, Infinity RSIIIa, SDA1C and a few dozen other speakers around the house I change in and out. -
I wouldn't be too sanguine about such a pairing -- but then I have no idea what the output tubes in that thing are.
As I've stated elsewhere on these forums, my own experience with Monitor 7As and low-ish powered vacuum tube amplifiers wasn't very encouraging -- but I haven't tried too many different ones.
A single-ended amp like the one in question (presumably with no added negative feedback) will have a pretty high output impedance and will "feel" (and thus interact with) the impedance curve of a loudspeaker much more than would a push-pull amplifier with substantial local or global negative feedback and thus lower output impedance ("higher DF"). A priori, I wouldn't expect a great match, but only empiricism will provide a definitive answer.
EDIT: OK, it's a Chinese version of an 807, I guess... http://www.radiomuseum.org/tubes/tube_fu7.html
Not clear to me (at a quick perusal of the Silicon Ray site) whether the amp is wired triode or for "native" beam power configuration of the output tubes, nor whether there's any NFB used... so it is really hard to say whether it might make pleasant sounds with a Monitor 7 or 10. All things being equal, the 10 is more sensitive & would likely be the better choice of the two (by the way).
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Thanks Mark!--Gary--
Onkyo Integra M504, Bottlehead Foreplay III, Denon SACD, Thiel CS2.3, NHT VT-2, VT-3 and Evolution T6, Infinity RSIIIa, SDA1C and a few dozen other speakers around the house I change in and out. -
ummm , the signal to noise ratio of my post was pretty poor... but this thread was lookin' lonely, and I do like vacuum tube audio and I do like vintage Polk Audio "Monitor" speakers... so I was, of course, eminently qualified to respond.
:-P
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I understand. I was just thinking of all my speakers, which were the most efficient. Figured the 10's or 2A's were. I may go ahead with the amp. And make do until I find some more efficient speakers.--Gary--
Onkyo Integra M504, Bottlehead Foreplay III, Denon SACD, Thiel CS2.3, NHT VT-2, VT-3 and Evolution T6, Infinity RSIIIa, SDA1C and a few dozen other speakers around the house I change in and out.