Tube amp request for suggestions

When shopping for a Preamp not to long ago, I read into the CJ PV-10A and found it to be described as good for the time and sort of ok for the now. It’s a bit dark and less detailed then it should be for a preamp. Also it will need an tube replacement. I choose to stay away from tube preamps and stay the rout of ultra clean and transparent solid state. In the used price range of $500, I found the Bryston 11 or 12 ’s to be a very good choice. It too has a phono section that is very good and an extremely good headphone section. The headphone section compared to a Headsave dual mono phono Meta42 amp in the $500 range.

In my opinion, a preamp should be as neutral as possible. If in the event you have a real good solid state source and amp already that you are just not going to part with, then a tube preamp is a potential choice for tubing the sound of your SS system. However, IMO the preamp should be the last tube component in your rack.

My Bryston cost me around $500 and still has 5 or so years left on its transferable warrantee. I love it!

Each brand tube and even the year it was made sound differently. I find that ‘rolling’ different tubes through the amp and DAC dramatically alters the systems sound. Then the combinations of tubes and cables just add to your inevitable frustration. It’s all part of the hobby. This is the single greatest thing about tube equipment, the fact that swapping out a simple tube can alter the systems synergy.

Don’t forget to have fun!

 

Ian, Oneonta, NY alright!, For $2000 definitely you got to look at used. Tubes are great, and Mac is good too. Also look at these brands: conrad-johnson, VTL, Audio Research, BAT. I do not remember if if cj ever made a true integrated amp but used you can probably find a pre and stereo amp on your budget. If you can stretch the budget, try to step up to their Premier line, it is what I listen to and I and my wife (she is the big jazz fan, I am strictly classic rock) love it.

 

This looks like a great little piece. But will it drive my speakers? It seems to be very low powered. I guess I'm not too clear on how to consider the power ratings of tube amps. I know that they tend to be lower wattage but sound louder than solid state at the same wattage. Is this accurate, or am I confused?

http://users.rcn.com/fiddler.interport/HF81.HTM

Thanks, Joe, for the link to the Eico website and suggestion to check them out generally.

 

Thanks for all the advice everyone. I went to Audio Classics on Saturday, and armed with your words of wisdom, it helped me sort out all the additional info I got there. They actually didn't have as many used models on site as I thought they would. They told me they do most of their business through their website these days. I guess to people that already know exactly what they want.

I saw that they had what I thought was a beautifully restored vintage 275 tube amp hooked up already in one of their listening rooms. So I asked if I could hear that to get a reference point to work from. They then told me it was actually a brand new reissue of the 275 and showed me all the new additions from the original. They hooked it up to some B&W 703s (their 604s had a whole punctured in one of the tweeters...gulp) and left me alone for awhile. The rest of the system was a Mac 2200 tube preamp, Mac CD changer, and a bunch of interconnects and speakerwires that looked like garden hose they were so thick.

So they left me alone for awhile to listen to this setup until the salesperson I usually deal with was free. Which was quite a while. I loved the sound of this stuff so much, I didn't mind waiting. I just sat there listening to lots of stuff I brought with me. I listened to the entire DCC CD of Getz Meets Mulligan in HiFi. Those saxophones sounded incredible on this system. Also listened to Suzy Q from the CCR SACD (CD layer). Amazing how much distortion was intentionally used in recording that song that I was never fully aware of. Both in guitars and vocals. Also listened to parts of Dire Straits S/T CD, Miseducation of Lauryn Hill CD, and DCC Wes Montgomery's Full House. They all sounded great. I guess they should considering what I was listening to them on.

I then got to chat for awhile with the salesman that sold me my B&W setup. It was obvious that I was either going to get more efficient speakers, or pay a lot of money for a high wattage tube amp. I decided I was not ready to part with my speakers, nor was I in the market for the tube stuff that could drive them well.

At his suggestion, I considered Mac solid state stuff. He said they had made some stuff in the 70s that was much closer to the sound of a tube amp than the Parasound amplification I had been using. I remembered Arin's post about their solid state amps and said "like the 2105?" He said that was exactly what he had in mind. Turns out they had just taken one in from an estate sale and it had just come back from the tech for servicing. I asked him if he could hook it up in the same chain I had been listening to, replacing the tube 275. I then went through almost all of the same music I had just listened to again with the 2105.

There was obviously a difference in sound. But the 2105 surprised me at how many of the great attributes of the 275 it was able to maintain. The saxophones were not quite as "full" as with the tube amp, but I found myself enjoying it just as much. Still a huge improvement in the same way as the tubes over my Parasound stuff. The bass was better on the 2105 and I was already wondering how the bass would sound on my B&W 604s, which have a beefier woofer section than the 703s. So I asked how much were they asking for the amp (C1 rating from their rating system). He said they had another one with the same rating, but not quite as cosmetically nice, on their website right now for $1100. But they got such a great deal on this particular piece and the only work they needed on it was to replace two big things in the back (can't remember what they were. They were big and cylindrical) and everything else was original and it exceeded original specs. So the price on this one was $650. So I picked it up and brought it home. In a few weeks I am going to start looking at tube preamps to pair it with. I guess I have arrived at a happy medium for the time being between better midrange and nice full bass while keeping my current speakers and not breaking the bank yet. So did I get a good price on this piece, does anybody know? It felt like a good deal. The piece looks brand new and weighs a ton. Thanks again for everyone's help here.

 

Hi Ian,

Congrats! Sounds like you're really happy and that's what matters. IMO, you gotta good piece at a good price. The reissued 275 is not my fav so i'm really glad ya didn't "break the bank" for that baby. Pairing the 2105 w/ a Mac tube pre-amp may be just what you're looking for in sound and price. I have little doubt you'll be able to get your $650 back for the 2105 if ya decide to step-up to something more pricey down the road.

Again, congrats,
Jeffrey

 

I think you got a pretty nice deal, Ian. Sounds like they went through it thoroughly. If it's exceeding factory specs, you're set for a looooong time. Your 2105 is a super-reliable workhorse...and you're only $650 lighter in the pockets. Not bad at all.

The McIntosh MX110 preamp/tuner would be an excellent match for that 2105...

 

This particular 275 is actually a brand new reissue. Not commenting on the sound or anything, just that it's the very latest version, the Mk IV. I've actually seen a picture taken within the last coupla weeks of the very same Audio Classics set-up Ian heard. Don't know if it's an improvement over the earlier 275's, though. Interestingly, McIntosh is now using matte black paint instead of the traditional gloss. Kinda neat looking, IMO.

I couldn't agree more.

 

Looks like you did real well, and I agree with you and Jeffrey, getting a tube pre-amp (a Mac to keep it all in the family) will even further improve things.

 

I'm glad you guys think I did okay. I guess the next advice I will be asking for will be about tube preamps. I'll definitely check out the Mac MX110. That new 275 I saw was absolutely beautiful. It did use a matte black paint, but it was really nice. Those tubes all brand new and the cage perfect, it was a real work of art. I was ready for a let-down appearance-wise when we set up the 2105. But it is amazing the condition the 2105 is in. The cage on the back is spotless. The glass is perfect. The marks I can see at all are on the sliding areas on the sides that are made to slide into a cabinet, and these are almost spotless too. The meters do not light up nearly as bright as the new Mac stuff they were selling, but I assumed it was just a difference in bulbs that they use now for backlighting.

 

Ian, The list I gave you for tube amps also works for good used tube pre-amps. It looks like you have a separate phono stage already, some tube pre-amps do not include a phono stage so you will be fine either way.