[mcullinan]

Or maybe monoblock doesnt matter.... Where do I start looking?
These will drive the Merlins and possibly some SPTech Timepiece 3.0s
Mike aa
OOps: About 5K for the budget.
Thanks!!

[lonewolfny42]

How much $$$$$ do you want to spend ?

[lonewolfny42]

About 5K for the budget

Thats a nice budget....I'd have a talk with Bill Baker/Response Audio to see what he has available in tube amps.  http://www.responseaudio.com/

Reason....He knows the SP Tech's....and his modded products are very good...I've heard a few.

[BradJudy]

I think the Dodd audio 120W tube monos run right about $5k/pair. 

[Frihed91]

I think you should look at Quicksilver Audio in Colorado.  This frim has been around, making nothing but tube mono blocks for a long long time.

So, you have $5K and Merlin speakers.  The 25WPC Mini-mite will drive your speakers as well as the amp that Merlin recommends.  It costs $1000 and can be built in a week.  It has a ton of filtering capacity for its size.  I am in the process of buying one.

Too cheap?  Quicksilver just came out with a 50 WPC triode amp that has even bigger rails and probably is more refined.  It costs $4600.  They also have a 50 WPC PP amp called the Mid-Mono that sells for about $2000, but I understand that the triode model has better dynamics and more opne trebble.  Finally, they make a much bigger amp, the V4, that is his best seller, but my speakers don't need that kind os juice.

Check out www.quicksilveraudio.com



Quicksilver is coming to RMAF.

[mcullinan]

So, you have $5K and Merlin speakers.  The 25WPC Mini-mite will drive your speakers as well as the amp that Merlin recommends.  It costs $1000 and can be built in a week.  It has a ton of filtering capacity for its size.  I am in the process of buying one.

Too cheap?  Quicksilver just came out with a 50 WPC triode amp that has even bigger rails and probably is more refined.  It costs $4600.  They also have a 50 WPC PP amp called the Mid-Mono that sells for about $2000, but I understand that the triode model has better dynamics and more opne trebble.  Finally, they make a much bigger amp, the V4, that is his best seller, but my speakers don't need that kind os juice.

Its not how much money I can spend.. I would sell my Nuforce SEv2 to fund the tube amps... Merlins were purchased as demos... I wish money grew on trees...

Mike  aa

[hmen]

Check out the Atma-Sphere M60. It's around your budget and is an OTL.

http://www.atma-sphere.com/

[TheChairGuy]

These guys.....http://www.angelfire.com/biz/bizzyb/TAD1000.html...from Bizzy Bee Audio have always intrigued me.

For $1899 you get 100 watts, Variable Feedback control, Variable Gain control (every amp should have this - great for reducing unneeded tube noise if you don't need full gain in your system...and allows you to use as one input integrated monoblocks this way, too) UL/Triode switch and (tube) regulated outputs (really helps with low end 'snap' missing from most tube amps). 

It even has super sweet 6V6's handing critical hi voltage signals.  It's supposedly easy to bias, too. It's not tube-rectified...a trend for more recently produced tube amps.  A bit of 'flesh' is missing without it - minor quibbling at the price that most won't bother noting.

Frankly, it's got it all at a very affordable price.  Paul/Bizzy Bee has been around a long time - so I suspect you'd be taken good care of.

I've bought a couple things from him the past two years (accessories only)

The Quicksilver's are probably good, safe choices, too....but I don't think they have quite the rich feature content of these for anywhere near the price (no voltage regulation should mean they are a bit less 'tucked in' bass like more traditional tube amps). Mike Sanders is a nice fella'...I own his Full Featured Preamp

Enjoy 

[mfsoa]

Used Dodd monos seem to be a great price :

http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=39023.0

[Cacophonix]

How about RM-200 from music reference?
I haven't heard one in person, but looking around, i cannot find a single bad or even iffy review of this amplifier. It recently came onboard of audiocircle, and Roger seems a wonderful wonderful person ever willing to share his expertise.

[carusoracer]

These guys.....http://www.angelfire.com/biz/bizzyb/TAD1000.html...from Bizzy Bee Audio have always intrigued me.

For $1899 you get 100 watts, Variable Feedback control, Variable Gain control (every amp should have this - great for reducing unneeded tube noise if you don't need full gain in your system...and allows you to use as one input integrated monoblocks this way, too) UL/Triode switch and (tube) regulated outputs (really helps with low end 'snap' missing from most tube amps). 

It even has super sweet 6V6's handing critical hi voltage signals.  It's supposedly easy to bias, too. It's not tube-rectified...a trend for more recently produced tube amps.  A bit of 'flesh' is missing without it - minor quibbling at the price that most won't bother noting.

Frankly, it's got it all at a very affordable price.  Paul/Bizzy Bee has been around a long time - so I suspect you'd be taken good care of.

I've bought a couple things from him the past two years (accessories only)

The Quicksilver's are probably good, safe choices, too....but I don't think they have quite the rich feature content of these for anywhere near the price (no voltage regulation should mean they are a bit less 'tucked in' bass like more traditional tube amps). Mike Sanders is a nice fella'...I own his Full Featured Preamp

Enjoy 

New Link http://www.tubeaudiodesign.com/ 

Sounds interesting!

[Double Ugly]

I don't know what options (if any) you're getting with the Timepieces, but I recommend trying them with the 9SE V2s before making a move.  The latest changes to the crossovers supposedly result in clearly audible improvements, and if you've gone with additional cap upgrades, you'll realize an even more refined sound.

According to Bob, Karsten said the latest NuForce upgrades - especially if modified just a bit further (PM Karsten for details) - are some of the best amps he's ever heard with his Revelations.  Maybe the best, I don't recall. 

Regardless, he was very impressed with their performance, and it isn't as though he doesn't have other options.  Karsten has a small fortune worth of amps lying around, including a pair of Butler Audio Monad monoblocks. 

I've never heard NuForce amps, and I have a quite low opinion of one of the company's principle players, so believe me ... if I didn't think it was in your best interest to try it first, I wouldn't have posted. 

Just a little food for thought from the backwoods of nowhere...

-Jim

PS - How's that website coming along?   aa

[anubisgrau]

merlins might be difficult to match - be careful.

you need:
no negative feedback or very little - a must
low damping - a must
20-25W minimum per channel
no SETs
ULPP preferred
OTLs welcome too

good matches are
cheap: manley stingray
mid: manley mani+shrimp, sonus filarmonia, leben cs600
top: berning 270, joule OTLs etc

[Imperial]

You know... I'm almost certain that your Zu Wax speaker cables are not gonna work with the
Merlin speakers.
The Merlins were designed to use Cardas cable... Zu wax has some 3 times the capacitance of a Cardas Cable.
I just mention this if you at a later stage find that all the amps you connect don't sound "as good as you could expect.
Now you know of it.
Darn! Where did I put that crystal ball?  I wish I could see the future here...
But I think I'm pointing out something very important... The Merlins are VERY finicky about the speaker cables...When driven by tubeamps..

Imperial

[WEEZ]

If you guys read Mike's other thread; you will realize that he is running his speakers across a 12' span. He was suffering some 'congestion'.

While I agree that tubes and Merlins get along very well together...changing speakers or amps won't solve his problem. It is a room problem/placement problem.

Mike, with all due respect, until you move your speakers or treat your room...you will be spinning your wheels (spending lot's of money)and won't be getting anywhere. The best advice I can give you is to call Bobby Palkovic and explain your situation to him very candidly. I can assure you that the 'congestion' isn't the fault of the speakers or the amplifier. (But there 'are' better matches out there.)

WEEZ

[Double Ugly]

While I agree that tubes and Merlins get along very well together...changing speakers or amps won't solve his problem. It is a room problem/placement problem.

Just a thought, but I suspect the self-described "crappy" player and perhaps some of the other pieces and parts may have something to do with the sound he's getting, too.  A sonically perfect room and set-up will only go so far.

Worth noting, too, is that Mike is getting Timepieces in exchange for services rendered, so it isn't a case of swapping speakers in an attempt to mitigate or eliminate other issues.

[WEEZ]

Jim, would YOU use speakers capable of 30hz response (regardless of brand) across a 12' span?

WEEZ

[Double Ugly]

Jim, would YOU use speakers capable of 30hz response (regardless of brand) across a 12' span?

WEEZ

I guess it depends on available options, if any.  My speakers are very near 12' apart and are rated -3dB @ 29Hz, but I literally have no where else to put 'em.

Are we in disagreement about something? 

[TomS]

merlins might be difficult to match - be careful.

you need:
no negative feedback or very little - a must
low damping - a must
20-25W minimum per channel
no SETs
ULPP preferred
OTLs welcome too

good matches are
cheap: manley stingray
mid: manley mani+shrimp, sonus filarmonia, leben cs600
top: berning 270, joule OTLs etc

I agree those are good choices and that using Bobby's experience makes great sense.  I've had Joule VZN100's (OTL), McCormack DNA500 (SS), BEL 1001's (SS), and now Odyssey Extreme Mono SE's (SS) on mine.  The latter violates most of the rules above (high damping) yet sounds quite heavenly, very close to the magic of the OTL's actually.  I also swapped out all of my Cardas GR for Reality Cables on the Odyssey's and they also sound very smooth and articulate.  The addition of Black Sand PC's balanced everything out rather nicely too.  If you live for tubes (George!) there are some great choices at that price point, but don't assume the Merlins won't bring it on SS either.  Nice synergy with the (slightly warm) Odysseys.

[WEEZ]

Jim, nope .

Mike has his speakers placed on a 17' wall firing across a 12' wide space. ( he never said how far apart the speakers were; left to right ). The sound is likely 'slapping' against the back wall and back to the front...like ping-pong . All I am saying is, that 12' front to back doesn't allow any space for bass waves to go; hence his 'problem'.

WEEZ