Got 500 dollars for a tube amp

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by frankb, Mar 6, 2017.

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  1. frankb

    frankb Active Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Richmond
    the Pilot says its 300 watts total.
     
  2. Dennis0675

    Dennis0675 Hyperactive!

    Location:
    Ohio
    I'm not familiar with that amp. Certainly it's not a tube amp at 300 watts. There is no need for a sensitive speaker with that kind of power.
     
    Agitater likes this.
  3. IanL

    IanL Senior Member

    Location:
    Oneonta, NY USA
    16 wpc, or 32 wpc bridged to mono
     
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  4. IanL

    IanL Senior Member

    Location:
    Oneonta, NY USA
    what preamp will you be pairing the Pilot with?
     
  5. Trashman

    Trashman Forum Resident

    Location:
    Wisconsin
    If an X-100 is professionally restored, is in excellent cosmetic condition (preferable with the wood case), and retains good-testing vintage tubes (or NOS tubes), I can think of worse ways to spend $1000. I have both an X-100 and a 400. In terms of overall sound quality, I give the nod to the X-100 with its EL-84 output tubes (though tube configurations vary depending on the X-100 model one has... the X-100B uses 7686 output tubes if I remember correctly). If one doesn't need a radio tuner and just wants an amp for vinyl, CDs, etc, the X-100 might be a better choice over a receiver.

    Hopefully the OP realizes that the Pilot amp (which he is now leaning towards) is just a power amp... and that he will need also need a preamp if he wants to control volume, tone, etc... and if he wants multiple sources for inputs (vinyl, CD, tape, iPod). Much of the tube "magic" occurs in the preamp, so unless the OP has a decent preamp setup already, I would steer towards an integrated setup like the Fisher X-100 or similar.
     
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  6. action pact

    action pact Music Omnivore

    Yup, having owned both a restored 400 and restored EL84-powered X-100, the little X-100 was the one I kept. They are easier to service too, due to the much simpler circuitry.
     
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  7. smctigue

    smctigue Forum Resident

    Good luck! I hope you enjoy yours as much as I do mine.
     
  8. Dennis0675

    Dennis0675 Hyperactive!

    Location:
    Ohio
    Do you think 16w is enough to drive 95db speakers?
     
  9. action pact

    action pact Music Omnivore

    It should be fine.

    By comparison, I use 85dB efficient speakers (KEF LS50's) with my 14 wpc Fisher, and it gets plenty loud in my small listening room.
     
  10. Larry I

    Larry I Senior Member

    Location:
    Washington, D.C.
    With tube amps, efficiency does not matter as much as how easy it is to drive. By that I mean that the impedance curve and phase angle curves are benign. I heard a pair of the old LS3\5a BBC monitor speakers in a large room being driven by 18 watt amps and that was plenty enough for speakers with a low 80's efficiency. The fact that the nominal impedance is a very friendly 15 ohms had a lot to do with that. On the other hand, a Wilson speaker with a rated 96 db\watt efficiency turned out to be a very difficult speaker to match to even reasonably powerful tube amps.
     
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  11. Steve G

    Steve G Senior Member

    Location:
    los angeles
  12. frankb

    frankb Active Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Richmond
    I bought the GemTune..Its too easy to spend money the days!
     
    Rick58 likes this.
  13. alexpop

    alexpop Power pop + other bad habits....

    Thought you sold a TUBE amp for 500 bucks.
     
    Gumboo likes this.
  14. frankb

    frankb Active Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Richmond
    got Acoustech Pl-980's to go with it. I hope I did good. :-/
     
  15. Mike 33

    Mike 33 Active Member

    Location:
    The Netherlands
    If you got speakers with a reasonable sensitivity (90db and up) you could have a look at the Synthesis Nimis, 2x15W class A.

    Got one myself and drive Wilson Watt Puppy (DIY) no problem. Got mine for €375.

    If you shop around you can also find some NOS at about €699.
     
  16. frankb

    frankb Active Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Richmond
    its set in stone. Im getting a gemtune gs-02 and Acoustech Pl-980's

    I can see how this could become an obsession
     
    Rick58 likes this.
  17. wellers73

    wellers73 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Brooklyn, NY
    Be sure to report back when you've had some time to listen to it!
     
    Rick58 likes this.
  18. 389 Tripower

    389 Tripower Just a little south of Moline

    Location:
    Moline, IL USA
    I'm really liking my Bell/TRW stuff right now, not as high quality as Fisher or Scott, but good build quality, easy to work on, and sound great.
    Just a few years ago they were always cheap and under the radar.

    Shipping was always more than the cost of the units. Those days are gone. 500 bucks just doesn't go that far in the tube world these days it seems.

    I'm going to refurbish my Scott 299-C maybe next winter. It's original, unmolested, and still 100% functional. I mothballed it since it's way overdue for service. It's awesome, and if that's what the Fishers sound like, I can see why they are so popular. If you come across a Scott unit for the right price, I highly recommend them.
     
  19. stereoguy

    stereoguy Its Gotta Be True Stereo!

    Location:
    NYC
    I dont think you could go wrong with a Fisher amp that has been completley refurbished for safe operation.
    It could never sound "bad", but maybe not exactly what youre looking for.
     
  20. ServingTheMusic

    ServingTheMusic Forum Resident

    Location:
    SoCal
    Honestly, sorry to be blunt, forget it. Cheap and Tubes are a match made in hell.
    Move on or save up.
     
  21. frankb

    frankb Active Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Richmond
    people like the akai m8 preamp and its dirt cheap. Maybe the real bargains are old reel to reels
     
  22. McLover

    McLover Senior Member

    Not 300 watts/channel RMS. 300 watts power consumption is believable. Realistically 20-30 watts per channel RMS, 20-20,000 Hertz, both channels driven, and less than 1 percent total harmonic distortion. That said, the tube era Pilot amplifiers and receivers were very good sounding and well built classics.
     
    389 Tripower likes this.
  23. ScottInDallas

    ScottInDallas Forum Resident

    Location:
    Dallas
    Yep, I own it :)

    I like it quite a bit. Still using the stock tubes but plan on tube rolling soon.

    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: Mar 13, 2017
    bluemooze, Rick58 and Steve G like this.
  24. Chupacabra

    Chupacabra Active Member

    Location:
    Philadelphia
    I was going to recommend an Elekit DX-8200, but it looks like the price on those is closer to $750 nowadays.
     
  25. coopmv

    coopmv Newton 1/30/2001 - 8/31/2011

    Location:
    CT, USA
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