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I've got the bug to upgrade/sell off some of my stuff and buy a class a amp for the Altecs. Anyone here use anything like that? Was thinking maybe first watt, pass aleph 30 or maybe pioneer m22. The pioneer is getting old so I have reservations about it but I have always wanted one. The Marantz 2238 sounds very good but like I said I've got the bug. Don't really think of my self as a tube guy though I have a fisher intergrated I prefer the marantz.
Bob
You can never go wrong with Class A as long as it has enough dynamic headroom, but whether to have a high output impedance [and how much] will depend on the speaker system's effective Qt [sysQ], i.e. the total resistance the amp 'feels', so usually best overall to have a low output impedance with variable DF bass, treble tone controls to increase it as desired.
Not knowing what's available these days, such [integrated] amps, receivers may only be vintage units and/or VERY pricey. I could have bought a used Aston Martin or Ferrari for what a dealer wanted for the last ‘powerful’ integrated Class A amp I auditioned some years ago.
GM
Sent to me by a toob buddy...
http://www.hostboard.com/forums/hbmc...2013/01/16.jpg
i bought a used adcom gfa 5800... class a for the first 20 watts. like i said , it was used. got it home, hooked it all up, and all it did was get real hot. another something i havent got around too yet. getting to the point i'll need mores shelves. i figure i'll have plenty of projects if i ever get the chance to retire.
I'm of the ilk that Altecs were just made for SET tube amps, or better yet, OTL amplifiers. High efficiency speakers and low power, liquid-like amplifiers. A match made in sonic heaven.
I'm currently using a 15W/ch, class AB OTL and the sound is nothing short of glorious. Son of Beast OTL Tube Amp
Class A amps at the foot of the bed will keep your feet warm in winter almost as well as tubes do.
I'm using a First Watt J2 to drive my 511s. The drivers are Radian 475PBs right now, with TAD TD-2002s on the way. The J2 made a startling improvement in sound over the old class AB SS amp I was using. Ultra Audio gave it a nice review:
SoundStageXtreme.com | UltraAudio.com | First Watt J2 Stereo Amplifier
Summary
I expected Nelson Pass’s First Watt J2 power amplifier to be almost as good as a good tube amplifier, but it wasn’t -- it was better than most tube amps I’ve tried. It’s possible to find better-sounding tube amps, but you’d better be prepared to part with a lot more cash.
Nelson Pass First Watt link: FIRST WATT J2
Thanks fpitas for the response. Have you tried the j2 without biamping or with 16 ohm drivers? I have read that at 16 ohms the output is half that of 8 ohms.
Thanks analog for the photo the wife liked it as she hates to cook breakfast. Another selling point in the WAF.
My Radians are 16 ohm versions, it still has plenty of power. I've never tried it without bi-amping or a passive crossover; it is connected directly to the driver.Quote:
Originally Posted by badtoby
I am with you all the way. I have tried various amps, some of them I borrowed from my friend close by (Plinius, Monarchy Audio SM70, Threshold S150/S250, Odyssey Stereo/mono, Mark Levinson,Pass Labs 250, Krell, and quite several PP, PWM, Chip Amps).Quote:
Originally Posted by alancohen
For me, the three amps that really shine driving my Altecs are the ff:
1.) JE Labs 2A3DX
2.) Tubelab Simple SE (triode strapped pentode)
3.)TubeLab 300B SE
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I love my Crown DC300A behind my A7-500s. :)
I have to preface by saying that model 19's are NOT my be all end all loudspeaker of choice.
However, after spending some time listening to my media thru my front end gear on his Firstwatt F5 powered 19's, my love affair with the Thermionic Valve(vacuum tube for the novices) came to an abrupt end, and i don't miss chasing my tail in that arena at all. Nelson Pass has implemented some "magic" in some of his circuit designs.
Solid state? Yes.Quote:
I love my Crown DC300A behind my A7-500s.
Class A? No.
Don't get me wrong, DC300 is a "Solid" amp and among vintage class AB amps is pretty good sounding, ultra dependable, and built like military hardware.
But, i think the OP was referring specifically to "Class A" amplification, the 100+ lb space heater kind generally.
Opps, I stand corrected.
(edit; I could have sworn it was class A, but I just checked and it isn't.)
No foul Volvo heretic always good to hear what others are using. Back in the day my neighbor played a hagstrom bass and a hammond B3 through a DC300 in to a pair of A7's and it sounded very good.
Sorry Bowtie didn't mean to snub you I had some thing come up in mid reply and had to cut it short. Anyway,I have to agree with you about the 19's as I seem to like the A7's more but have not given up on the 19's just my first impressions. The 511 horn sounds better to me and the 1200 hz crossover makes the 19 a totally different speaker. The 19 sounds like a home speaker where the A7's sounds like a live performance I guess you could say. As for tube vs sand I prefer sand because I have two fisher intergrateds that need work and I have no way to even test the tubes. Also when I attended tech school they no longer taught tube theory so I'm somewhat clueless and will probably stay that way. When I read about the pass amps having tube like sound it seemed like the way to go for me. It's good to know that others are using pass amps with Altecs because all the reviews I've read talk about using them with speakers I have never heard of. It's all about the synergy.
No snub taken, all is well and good.Quote:
Sorry Bowtie didn't mean to snub you
Absolutely agree.Quote:
No foul Volvo heretic always good to hear what others are using.
That your DC300A is not class A DOES NOT automatically discount it from being a good sounding amplifier or being able to drive Altecs in a true hifi sense. It's a damn respectable amplifier across multiple applications, hifi included.
Just an aside, I liked the D150 crown much better than the 300. I think Bowtie got one years ago.