[zybar]

I am looking for recommendations on some lower powered tube amps to use with a set of speakers I will be a beta tester for (RSL II's from Mark Schifter):

The speakers use the following drivers:

2 X 12" metal cone sub woofers with 1K watts per cabinet... All under servo control

2 X 5.25" newly developed metal cone mid bass couplers... These are to die for... One front firing... one rear firing...

1 X 24" ribbon midrange made by a super vendor to our specs... INCREDIBLE

9 X 1" circular ribbon tweeters



These speakers have a powered subwoofer and midbass, so the amp only needs to power the midrange panel and the tweeters.

The sensitivity of the speakers will be somewhere in the mid 90's and the impedance should be very tube friendly as well.

I am ok with a stereo amp or mono blocs.

Thanks,

George

[Bill Baker]

Hello George,
 Just curious if you have or can come across an impedance plot for the speakers? If they have a very flat impedance curve with mid 90's SPL, I would say anything from 8 watts up should do nicely.
 Do you have a tube type preference?

 Very nice looking speakers by the way.

[zybar]

Hello George,
 Just curious if you have or can come across an impedance plot for the speakers? If they have a very flat impedance curve with mid 90's SPL, I would say anything from 8 watts up should do nicely.
 Do you have a tube type preference?

 Very nice looking speakers by the way.

I don't have an impedance plot.

As for tube type preference...I have always been partial to the 6AS7G that were used in my Atma Sphere M-60's and Kora Cosmos Reference amps, but I don't know of that many amps that use those tubes.  I also like the sound of 845 and EL34 tubes.

George

[alotaklipsch]

I love my Mactone MA300B, 23 watt PP 300b amp, which replaced Lamm ML2's.  Amazing amps, better bass than the Moscode, or Dodd 120's , with midrange, and treble to die for I am using a quad of WE 300B, Alabama new production, and pretty as all hell with the blue glow from the tubes.  Wh the hell said 300B's don't do bass, need the right amp.

Cool speakers BTW, are those the new Arnie Nudell design?

[zybar]

I love my Mactone MA300B, 23 watt PP 300b amp, which replaced Lamm ML2's.  Amazing amps, better bass than the Moscode, or Dodd 120's , with midrange, and treble to die for I am using a quad of WE 300B, Alabama new production, and pretty as all hell with the blue glow from the tubes.  Wh the hell said 300B's don't do bass, need the right amp.

Cool speakers BTW, are those the new Arnie Nudell design?

Yes, these are the new speakers that are coming from Mark, Arnie, and Bascom King.

George

[zybar]

Check out the Leben CS-600 (30wpc 6L6GC or 28WPC EL34). Review available on 6Moons...be sure to read through the whole article as the subject of the article is an entire system. Here's a bonus. It only costs about $200-$250 to re-tube the Leben CS-600 with four RCA 6L6GC Black Plates, generally regarded the best 6L6 tubes ever made.

I have also heard great things about the Mastersound Compact 845.

These are both integrated amps, but don't let that dissuade you. The Leben can be run as an amplifier with a separate preamp. Mine will arrive on Monday for a two week audition.

If you want a silly-great amp at an unbelievable price, keep an eye out for a used VAC Renaissance 30/30, 300B Push Pull amplifier. I've seen these within the past year for $2500. If I had speakers that could be driven by this amp, I'd have one right now. Made in the USA by one of the world's premier amplifier builders. Rolls Royce quality, and a liquid, three dimensional sound.

The amplifiers from Shindo Labs might also be considered.

Thanks Tvad.

Please keep us posted on the Leben audition.

George

[doug s.]

hi george,

shameless spam, i know, but i have some amps i was planning on selling, that may fit the bill.  all are fantastic, but i recently bought a mesa baron, for sentimental reasons, & i really do not need all these amps now.  one actually i sold on ebay, but it looks like the buyer is welching, so i suspect it's still gonna be awailable - it's a completely refurb'd & modded tio the hilt vintage el34-based fisher sa-300b.  i had posted an ad on a/c here:

http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=40151.msg363515

another is a pair of audio mirror 6c33c monoblocks, w/upgrade driver tubes.  there was a recent thread about 'em here:

http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=40762.msg365007#msg365007

the third is a mint pair of manley mahi el84-based monoblocks.  these amps also have upgrade tubes.

any sane person would be content w/any of these amps.  but, i used to own a baron, & my ex threw it down a flight of stairs onto a concrete basement floor; ever since, i vowed i would own another one, & i just scored one.  and, who says i am sane?   

doug s.

[Airborn]

George,

What about the Onix SP-3 by Melody and also from MLS? At 38 wpc it may not quite be "lower powered" but its certainly "lower priced". Mine drives the 86db planar mid and tweeter of the Strata Mini speakers (also with powered bass) very well. I am sure Mark could arrange one for you as well. Have fun!!

[shep]

Leben! cause I want to know what it sounds like! Neat looking speakers.

[JLM]

Why a tube amp?

Are you looking to borrow or buy the amp?

Do you have a particular design?

With 12 drivers and 2 crossovers to deal with efficiency in the mid 90s and unknown impedance curve its hard to make a recommendation, but most of the SETs better stay home.

Decware builds detailed, neutral, rather inexpensive affordable EL34 based amps.  I had one here for an extended audition, but it exagerated the bass of my rather well behaved full range speakers.

For a more mainstram tube amp solution, any number of 300B SET designs might do, but I'd rather see double digit output for these speakers.

[zybar]

Why a tube amp?

Are you looking to borrow or buy the amp?

Do you have a particular design?

With 12 drivers and 2 crossovers to deal with efficiency in the mid 90s and unknown impedance curve its hard to make a recommendation, but most of the SETs better stay home.

Decware builds detailed, neutral, rather inexpensive affordable EL34 based amps.  I had one here for an extended audition, but it exagerated the bass of my rather well behaved full range speakers.

For a more mainstram tube amp solution, any number of 300B SET designs might do, but I'd rather see double digit output for these speakers.

JLM,

Why a tube amp?  Because I like the sound of tubes!   aa

I would love to borrow, but I am willing to buy.

No particular design in mind... I have owned all kinds of tube amps from SET to OTL to PP and everything in between.

While I don't know the impedance curve, please keep in mind the amp(s) won't have to pwer anything belowthe midrange panel and tweeters.  BTW, there are quite a few SET options out there that will deliver double digit power.  I do agree that I won't be able to go the route of the flea sized SET driven by 45, 2A3, etc... tubes.

George

[Audiovista]

George, I sent you a PM.
Boris

[BobRex]

So why not try another atmasphere?  Maybe the S30.

Oh, and don't give up on the smaller amps.  I'm running my RM30 mids and tweets with a 2A3 SET amp.  It works extremely well as long as you keep the peaks below about 98dB.  And since that's for 280Hz and above, it's louder than you think.

[zybar]

So why not try another atmasphere?  Maybe the S30.

Oh, and don't give up on the smaller amps.  I'm running my RM30 mids and tweets with a 2A3 SET amp.  It works extremely well as long as you keep the peaks below about 98dB.  And since that's for 280Hz and above, it's louder than you think.

The Atma-Sphere amps might not be a good match in my system due to their input sensitivity (2.83 volts to drive them to full power).  My Bolder Cable modified SB2 only outputs about 1.1 volts.

George

[JoshK]

You should try Boris's amp (audiovista) if you can. 

[zybar]

You should try Boris's amp (audiovista) if you can. 

I hope to...

George

[JoshK]

Doug is also selling his Manley Mahi Mahi's...I bet those are sweet too!  Hard to go wrong with EL84's.