[jtwrace]

I would like to power my VERY effecient ribbon tweeters with a tube amp.  What do you recommend I look at.  Please keep cost resonable. < $1500

[vinylphilemag]

I would like to power my VERY effecient ribbon tweeters with a tube amp.  What do you recommend I look at.  Please keep cost resonable. < $1500

I'm very happy with my PrimaLuna monoblocks.  Although they're out of your price range, I'n sure one of their smaller brothers might be just the ticket!  Are you looking for a power amp or an integrated amp?

[jtwrace]

power amp only

[chuckworkb]

I have been thinking about one of these for a while now, maybe it would work for you.

http://www.tubes4hifi.com/bob.htm

[TomS]

How about the new Gary Dodd battery powered tube amp (15wpc) at $995 + batteries and charger?  Probably dead quiet for efficient speakers as long as they're 4 ohms or better.

... or maybe a Music Reference RM-10 MK II which is a nice amp.

[Hogg]

A used Music Reference RM 9 II.  Very sweet amp

                                        Jim

[JoshK]

Is this an active system, as in tweeter only?  How efficient?  Anyway, I suggest a SE EL84, 6V6 or 45 based amp.  EL84 or 6V6 is going to be cheaper inevitably and likely just as sweet.   

I think it is important to be Single ended, or at the very least class A (singled ended is by nature class A).  The reason is 1) lack of crossover distortion, which is important in this range, 2) harmonic profile, again very important for this range.  If you wanted to venture into SS, I'd recommend one of Nelson Pass's single ended SS creations of late.  I am an not a racist when it comes to amps, but maybe a classist.

[Jon L]

I would like to power my VERY effecient ribbon tweeters with a tube amp.  What do you recommend I look at.  Please keep cost resonable. < $1500

It really depends on which ribbon tweeters.  If you're using the larger Aurum Cantus ones, they have pretty benign impedance, and I have powered them with 45 SET or 2A3 SET with great success.

The Raven type ribbons are highly efficient but tend to have low impedance..

[S Clark]

How about the new Gary Dodd battery powered tube amp (15wpc) at $995 + batteries and charger?  Probably dead quiet for efficient speakers as long as they're 4 ohms or better.

... or maybe a Music Reference RM-10 MK II which is a nice amp.

The new Dodd has to go at or very near the top of your list.  Danny Richie has raved about it.  I have heard it also, and I don't know what you'd have to spend to top it, but it would be a sizeable chunk. Arthurs has also had a pair in his system and has posted about them. 
Also, Gary posted just a few days ago that he had built several and has them in stock.

[srb]

The new Dodd has to go at or very near the top of your list.

If you just don't want to get into rechargeable batteries, or feel that it might require too many or too big of battery for the runtime you need, that's understandable.
 
But if your tweeters are not too low of an impedance, and they are VERY efficient like you say, I would think QUIET might be one of the top criteria for your tube amp.  And by all accounts the Dodd Battery Tube Amplifier is among the quietest.
 
It might be worth at least a conversation with Gary Dodd.
 
Steve

[jcoat007]

Just a touch higher than you want to go, but I would seriously consider this:

http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=72057.0

[Bob in St. Louis]

There's a 40wpc Jolida202a for sale here in the classified section. I can speak from personal experience, it's a little tank. Much less than you're price range.

Bob

[doug s.]

if 8 or 16 ohm tweeter, then i would recommend an almarro a205a mkll.  even new, these are a good deal, imo.  better deal used, of course!     while technically an integrated, it's really an amp w/a passive wolume pot.  yust keep the pot's gain max'd out, or you can remove it from the signal path, if you really feel the need.

doug s.

[Bob in St. Louis]

i would recommend an almarro a205a mkll. 

I had one of those for a few months. Very nice amp, just not enough "umph" for me.

Bob

[doug s.]

i would recommend an almarro a205a mkll. 

I had one of those for a few months. Very nice amp, just not enough "umph" for me.

Bob

yes - at 5wpc, not much umph, for sure.  but, if you have efficient speakers, they are extremely nice.  jtwrace says his ribbons are "VERY efficient", so i cannot imagine there being any problem there.  in my case, they have no prolem whatsoever driving my decware-modded fostex fe206e's in oris 150 horns to extremely loud wolumes, from 300hz on up.   

doug s.

[jtwrace]

thanks guys! 

I got a used Decware off audiogon that I couldn't pass up...this will give me a good "feel" for what the tubes will do on the ribbons.  If I ever want to upgrade, shouldn't be a problem selling this beauty. 

[doug s.]

thanks guys! 

I got a used Decware off audiogon that I couldn't pass up...this will give me a good "feel" for what the tubes will do on the ribbons.  If I ever want to upgrade, shouldn't be a problem selling this beauty.

i had a decware before i got my almarro.  the almarro crushed the decware in all performance aspects.  but, to be fair, i suspect it was cuz i was using 14 ohm speakers at the time.  steve deckert assured me that the decware amp would have no problem whatsoever w/the 14 ohm load of my 97db-efficient coincident wictory's i had at the time, but that wasn't even close to being the case.  that amp wanted to see a 4 ohm load, 8 ohm max.

doug s.

[jtwrace]

thanks guys! 

I got a used Decware off audiogon that I couldn't pass up...this will give me a good "feel" for what the tubes will do on the ribbons.  If I ever want to upgrade, shouldn't be a problem selling this beauty.

i had a decware before i got my almarro.  the almarro crushed the decware in all performance aspects.  but, to be fair, i suspect it was cuz i was using 14 ohm speakers at the time.  steve deckert assured me that the decware amp would have no problem whatsoever w/the 14 ohm load of my 97db-efficient coincident wictory's i had at the time, but that wasn't even close to being the case.  that amp wanted to see a 4 ohm load, 8 ohm max.

doug s.

OK.  According to the Almarro site they only have one amp option which is  P-P
mono blocks...two much for what I'm going to use it for.  We'll see how the Decware does. 

[Wayner]

Just a touch higher than you want to go, but I would seriously consider this:

http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=72057.0

Frank Van Alstine is moments away from full production on the new Ultravalve amp featuring 6CA7 power tubes, with the 5AR4 rectifier tube, pushing 30 watts RMS per channel. Many reviewers at the RMAF wanted a sample for review, as it would push most moderately effiecient speakers to amazing power strokes. At $1699, it is a true bargin an it also sounds like a 100 watt per channel amp as the bass control is perhaps the best in the industry for a 30WPC tube amp.

Wayner 

[doug s.]

thanks guys! 

I got a used Decware off audiogon that I couldn't pass up...this will give me a good "feel" for what the tubes will do on the ribbons.  If I ever want to upgrade, shouldn't be a problem selling this beauty.

i had a decware before i got my almarro.  the almarro crushed the decware in all performance aspects.  but, to be fair, i suspect it was cuz i was using 14 ohm speakers at the time.  steve deckert assured me that the decware amp would have no problem whatsoever w/the 14 ohm load of my 97db-efficient coincident wictory's i had at the time, but that wasn't even close to being the case.  that amp wanted to see a 4 ohm load, 8 ohm max.

doug s.

OK.  According to the Almarro site they only have one amp option which is  P-P
mono blocks...two much for what I'm going to use it for.  We'll see how the Decware does.

http://www.almarro.com/products.html

doug s.