Tube amps and the big SDA's

BSUfbfan
BSUfbfan Posts: 201
edited February 2010 in 2 Channel Audio
Hey guys.

I have been slowly converting my system to tubes (CD Player and Preamp) and I am now considering changing my Aragon 4004 MKII for a tube amp. I am just worried about the power output being enough to run my 2.3's. The 4004 is rated at 200x2 at 8 ohms, where as the big ol' Audio Research tube amp I am looking at is only rated at 110x2 at 8 ohms (even though it costs about 3 times what I paid for the Aragon). What do you all think?

I appreciate any input.... its a big decision for me because these big tube amps are really spendy.
SDA SRS 2.3
Post edited by BSUfbfan on
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Comments

  • thsmith
    thsmith Posts: 6,082
    edited February 2010
    I think the AR will have no problems with the 2.3s. I am running 40wpc tube amp with my SDA-1Cs.
    Speakers: SDA-1C (most all the goodies)
    Preamp: Joule Electra LA-150 MKII SE
    Amp: Wright WPA 50-50 EAT KT88s
    Analog: Marantz TT-15S1 MBS Glider SL| Wright WPP100C Amperex BB 6er5 and 7316 & WPM-100 SUT
    Digital: Mac mini 2.3GHz dual-core i5 8g RAM 1.5 TB HDD Music Server Amarra (memory play) - USB - W4S DAC 2
    Cables: Mits S3 IC and Spk cables| PS Audio PCs
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  • leroyjr1
    leroyjr1 Posts: 8,785
    edited February 2010
    110 tube watts should be more than enough power.
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  • BSUfbfan
    BSUfbfan Posts: 201
    edited February 2010
    Alright, thanks. I was originally looking at the VS-55 (50 wpc), but thought the Hybrid design of the D-125 (110 wpc) may drive the big boys better.
    SDA SRS 2.3
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  • TroyD
    TroyD Posts: 13,077
    edited February 2010
    I ran my on a CJ MV-75A1 (75wpc).....they sounded phenomenal and it was plenty of power.

    BDT
    I plan for the future. - F1Nut
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  • hearingimpared
    hearingimpared Posts: 21,137
    edited February 2010
    I heard a pair of 1Cs run from a Manley Stingray @ 20 wpc at Ted's Polkfest and it sounded glorious. I can't imagine 110 tube watts having any trouble driving your 2.3s.

    Tubes and SDAs are a match made in heaven.
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  • Dawgfish
    Dawgfish Posts: 2,554
    edited February 2010
    hearingimpared wrote: »
    I heard a pair of 1Cs run from a Manley Stingray @ 20 wpc at Ted's Polkfest and it sounded glorious. I can't imagine 110 tube watts having any trouble driving your 2.3s.

    Tubes and SDAs are a match made in heaven.

    As the one lucky enough to now own those very same 1C's and having recently added more tubes into the system, I couldn't agree more. I know I am in audio heaven listening to my 1Cs with tubes. I can't wait to get home and listen to them some more.
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  • Face
    Face Posts: 14,340
    edited February 2010
    I had possession of that Manley Stingray for a year or so after Ted. IMO, the SRS2's and 2B TL's I had here sounded better with the Stingray than any of my other setups at the time.
    "He who fights with monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a monster. And when you gaze long into an abyss the abyss also gazes into you." Friedrich Nietzsche
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  • heiney9
    heiney9 Posts: 25,165
    edited February 2010
    BSUfbfan wrote: »
    Alright, thanks. I was originally looking at the VS-55 (50 wpc), but thought the Hybrid design of the D-125 (110 wpc) may drive the big boys better.


    When you say hybrid what do you mean? The driver stage is SS and the output is tube or the driver stage is tube and the output is SS?

    I guess I could google it.

    H9
    "Appreciation of audio is a completely subjective human experience. Measurements can provide a measure of insight, but are no substitute for human judgment. Why are we looking to reduce a subjective experience to objective criteria anyway? The subtleties of music and audio reproduction are for those who appreciate it. Differentiation by numbers is for those who do not".--Nelson Pass Pass Labs XA25 | EE Avant Pre | EE Mini Max Supreme DAC | MIT Shotgun S1 | Pangea AC14SE MKII | Legend L600 | BlueSound Node 3 - Tubes add soul!
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  • heiney9
    heiney9 Posts: 25,165
    edited February 2010
    Never mind found it. :)

    http://www.arcdb.ws/D125/D125.html

    FET's in the front end and tubes for the output.

    H9
    "Appreciation of audio is a completely subjective human experience. Measurements can provide a measure of insight, but are no substitute for human judgment. Why are we looking to reduce a subjective experience to objective criteria anyway? The subtleties of music and audio reproduction are for those who appreciate it. Differentiation by numbers is for those who do not".--Nelson Pass Pass Labs XA25 | EE Avant Pre | EE Mini Max Supreme DAC | MIT Shotgun S1 | Pangea AC14SE MKII | Legend L600 | BlueSound Node 3 - Tubes add soul!
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  • heiney9
    heiney9 Posts: 25,165
    edited February 2010
    Anyone who knows my posts, knows I'm not a spec guy, but one spec that jumps out at me that could have a possible negative effect is the damping factor of 20. But so many have raved about SDA's and tubes, it's probably not going to be an issue.

    H9
    "Appreciation of audio is a completely subjective human experience. Measurements can provide a measure of insight, but are no substitute for human judgment. Why are we looking to reduce a subjective experience to objective criteria anyway? The subtleties of music and audio reproduction are for those who appreciate it. Differentiation by numbers is for those who do not".--Nelson Pass Pass Labs XA25 | EE Avant Pre | EE Mini Max Supreme DAC | MIT Shotgun S1 | Pangea AC14SE MKII | Legend L600 | BlueSound Node 3 - Tubes add soul!
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  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 50,566
    edited February 2010
    Instead of going hybrid, why not go with an all tube Audio Research, VTL or Manley? There's some nice Snappers on Audiogon right now.

    Edit: I see you've got a SF tube pre, a SF tube amp would be a perfect match.
    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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  • hearingimpared
    hearingimpared Posts: 21,137
    edited February 2010
    Dawgfish wrote: »
    As the one lucky enough to now own those very same 1C's and having recently added more tubes into the system, I couldn't agree more. I know I am in audio heaven listening to my 1Cs with tubes. I can't wait to get home and listen to them some more.
    Face wrote: »
    I had possession of that Manley Stingray for a year or so after Ted. IMO, the SRS2's and 2B TL's I had here sounded better with the Stingray than any of my other setups at the time.

    I remember when you guys acquired those pieces and I was very green with envy.

    Those 1Cs have a travel history. Lou (ohskigod) picked them up from another member (whose name I won't mention due to well ya know . . .) in North Jersey. He & Dave drove them down here, BTW big Louie carried them in himself!:eek: Then they were stored at my house here in Newark, DE for a while, then they went to Jesse's in Maryland for restoration and then Jesse, Mike (janmike) and me drove them down to Ted's for Polkfest.

    Dawgfish, you should put those travel stickers on the sides like they did in the old days to show where they've been.:D
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  • george daniel
    george daniel Posts: 12,096
    edited February 2010
    Last weekend I picked up my VTL 50 watt tuber and it pushed jerryj12's 2.3tl's very repectfully,,got it playing right now on some monitors,,was gonna sell it,, having second thoughts right now.
    JC approves....he told me so. (F-1 nut)
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  • BSUfbfan
    BSUfbfan Posts: 201
    edited February 2010
    F1nut wrote: »
    Instead of going hybrid, why not go with an all tube Audio Research, VTL or Manley? There's some nice Snappers on Audiogon right now.

    Edit: I see you've got a SF tube pre, a SF tube amp would be a perfect match.

    Yeah, i've been looking for a SF tube amp but they are hard to come by. Those Manley snappers look absolutely SICK!!

    The VTL i've been looking at is the ST-85 here: http://www.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?ampstube&1269632831&/VTL-ST-85-w/-Mullard-12AT7-tub

    What do you guys think?
    SDA SRS 2.3
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  • jz0h4d
    jz0h4d Posts: 33
    edited February 2010
    That's a great amp, should sound terrific.
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  • george daniel
    george daniel Posts: 12,096
    edited February 2010
    BSUfbfan wrote: »
    Yeah, i've been looking for a SF tube amp but they are hard to come by. Those Manley snappers look absolutely SICK!!

    The VTL i've been looking at is the ST-85 here: http://www.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?ampstube&1269632831&/VTL-ST-85-w/-Mullard-12AT7-tub

    What do you guys think?

    he,he,, that'll work;)

    Put some 6CA7's in it when you need to replace the output tubes.
    JC approves....he told me so. (F-1 nut)
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  • DarqueKnight
    DarqueKnight Posts: 6,765
    edited February 2010
    BSUfbfan wrote: »
    I am now considering changing my Aragon 4004 MKII for a tube amp. I am just worried about the power output being enough to run my 2.3's.

    It is difficult to provide meaningful response to your inquiry without knowing your music reproduction goals and preferences. I have always found it beneficial to seek advice from those whose musical preferences and goals are similar to mine.

    Whether you use tube or transistor power amps, you should match your power amplification to the kind of music you listen to and to the type of sound stage you are trying to (re)create. It is not always just a matter of raw power output, but also the quality of the power and the way in which the power is delivered.

    Some amps, like some speakers, excel at reproducing certain types of music.
    Proud and loyal citizen of the Digital Domain and Solid State Country!
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  • heiney9
    heiney9 Posts: 25,165
    edited February 2010
    http://www.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?ampstube&1271267776&/Sonic-Frontiers-SFS-40-stereo-

    Grab it quick

    H9
    "Appreciation of audio is a completely subjective human experience. Measurements can provide a measure of insight, but are no substitute for human judgment. Why are we looking to reduce a subjective experience to objective criteria anyway? The subtleties of music and audio reproduction are for those who appreciate it. Differentiation by numbers is for those who do not".--Nelson Pass Pass Labs XA25 | EE Avant Pre | EE Mini Max Supreme DAC | MIT Shotgun S1 | Pangea AC14SE MKII | Legend L600 | BlueSound Node 3 - Tubes add soul!
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  • BSUfbfan
    BSUfbfan Posts: 201
    edited February 2010
    heiney9 wrote: »
    http://www.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?ampstube&1271267776&/Sonic-Frontiers-SFS-40-stereo-

    Grab it quick

    H9

    DONE!!!

    Thanks for the help guys. I swear I just looked there for a SF tube amp an hour ago.... and nothing, go figure.
    SDA SRS 2.3
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  • heiney9
    heiney9 Posts: 25,165
    edited February 2010
    BSUfbfan wrote: »
    DONE!!!

    Thanks for the help guys. I swear I just looked there for a SF tube amp an hour ago.... and nothing, go figure.

    It's on the "New Today" page. New listings stay there for a few hours before going into the general search engine. I check the "New Today" posts a few times a day to try and catch something before it hits the "general" population. I have missed two PS Audio power cables in the past couple days despite being one of the first viewers.

    H9
    "Appreciation of audio is a completely subjective human experience. Measurements can provide a measure of insight, but are no substitute for human judgment. Why are we looking to reduce a subjective experience to objective criteria anyway? The subtleties of music and audio reproduction are for those who appreciate it. Differentiation by numbers is for those who do not".--Nelson Pass Pass Labs XA25 | EE Avant Pre | EE Mini Max Supreme DAC | MIT Shotgun S1 | Pangea AC14SE MKII | Legend L600 | BlueSound Node 3 - Tubes add soul!
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  • hearingimpared
    hearingimpared Posts: 21,137
    edited February 2010
    Nice snag!
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