Another valve question!

Right here we go...............

The people who have sold higher end ss amps (naim, linn etc) and bought into the valve philosophy, do you think you will ever go back to transistor amps?

If not, why?

Im asking this as i have just sold my linns (lk280`s) to my brother, as he has just bought some Martin Logans and his Naim nac 92 and nap 90 wouldn`t drive them properly.

Now, i`m looking for a valve amp , in the region of £700 second hand.

what would you recommend???
My speakers are royd apex with a 90db and relatively flat 80hm impedence.

discuss

 

The amp for you is the Eastern Electric Minimax - I know, 'cause I was (until last week) driving a pair of Royd Doublets (89dB, 6 ohm) with this genuine bargain pre-power. I've moved up around twenty rungs on the speaker ladder in the last week, but no way would I get rid of the Minimax. My personal favourite sound I've yet heard, and I've heard 552/500-based systems, big Dynavectors, Border Patrols, DNM, my own foray via Naim 52/SC/250, etc. etc.

What I'd say is that it just does exactly what a high end amp should do, but at a really affordable price. I'd be unlikely to go back to SS, though it's feasible I might add a second Minimax power amp to bi-amp my Avanti IIIs.

My history is I went: DNM->Naim 82/HC/250->52/SC/250->Nait2(modded)->MiniMax

...the DNM was the most musically engaging in many ways, but the amps are fragile and ergonomically disastrous. The 82/HI was a big disappointment, and didn't last long before being replaced with a 52/SC. This did all that Naim is meant to do, but cost a small fortune, and in the end I found that (with efficient speakers) the modded Nait 2 I have did things 95%+ as well as the big Naim outfit. The first system to convince me to move from the Nait was the Minimax. Cracking amps, miles better than the 52/SC/250 (though not as powerful it must be said) and MUCH cheaper. Roll a few NOS valves in there, feed it a top-notch source and you've an amazingly capable, very fast, dynamic, musical and insightful amp.

 

I recently bought a 2nd hand Copland CTA401 integrated valve amp for £440, I couldn't be happier, quality. New version (CTA405 I think) costs about £2300!

It's only about 25wpc but works great with my old Tannoys, which are about the same sensitivity as your Royds I think.

I contemplated going back to SS when I decided to sell my Quad II/Croft pre setup, but only for the sake of convenience. I'm glad I didn't, the Copland makes me very happy.

 

jtc, can i ask how did the minimax`s sound with the royds??

royd speakers across the range have a similar balance, so i would like to know what benefits did you get with the royd sound?

also, i have been recommended a couple of amps, one of which is 8 watt SET amp, the other a 18 watt push pull design.

did yours have any probs driving the royds?

these are the ones that have been recommended to me:

 

Nice valve porn, What are they?
I would never go back to SS after my experiences with valves. Just so much more music. I stopped thinking about hifi and just got on with it. The Minimax is a good idea, as are the Icon amps. There's often good stuff to be had from the ads in Hi-fi world. I saw some Audio Note Pre zero's and monos going for £400 not long since. With 90db you could use most things.

 

they are the new dared tube amps, available from Kronos hifi.

 

I went from a 32.5/110 to a (Chinese) valve amp. To me its simply an amplifier, that it uses tubes in place of transistors is neither here nor there, I play my records through it and it gives me a great deal of pleasure.
I am now at the stage where I want my hifi to be less visually obtrusive, if I change amps again i'll take a tape measure with me when I go for a listen. Valves or SS, it matters not.

 

well, ive just bought this:



consonance m100s plus, 300b 25 watt per channel and REMOTE CONTROL

£1600 retail, mine for £600

 

OK, too late to save you... only kidding, that looks like a good buy. To answer your question: Minimax drove Royds beautifully - bringing out a really cohesive, musical sound with a far less aggressive but more detailed and sparkly treble than with the Naim systems. Surprisingly, more bass at a given volume than with the Naim systems - and just as tight, though in a more effortless sort of way. Biggest surprise is just how far the 8w of the Minimax power amp goes - put it another way, either Eastern Electric are completely underplaying the true power of the amp, or speakers use a lot less power than one might think.

 

PS. The Minimax is 8wpc push-pull, rather than SET. I don't actually know what the difference is - not being so up on valve terminology - but it's streets ahead of the Rogue Magnum pre and M150 power amps in musical terms (I borrowed a set of them once) and on level terms (post tube-roll) with the Border Patrol amps.

 

this is the same design , push pull.
SET, from what i can gather, offers a softer, more natural presentation, while push pull is punchier.

 

I find that I can 'dial in' the nature of the presentation by changing the output valve on the preamp. It seems to be the biggest variable - perhaps this is true of all valve amps insofar as it would appear that one can tailor the sound to suit. A big plus for valves!

 

Mr Elbow, can I suggest you join the WAD forum www.worldaudiodesign.com/forum as a member (Richard) on there has this same, or very similar, amp and has much experience with it, so could offer some good advice.

Potentially a great amp and produces about 22 watts of very nice 300b sound with a bit more oomfph.

 

tried to register, but still waiting for the mods to activate so i can post

 

I've recently bought a pair of VR70E's ...done a little work on them but the sound is fantastic....just more real life, sort of organic. These are a push pull type with only [now] a single cap in the signal path with the valves. For a little over £200 and £50 worth of components time and a hot soldering iron, almost can't be beaten. The T-amps were fantastic in the mid and top imagining being there high light. The valves don't quite match up but they are good across the whole audio spetrum. I may biamp using the T-amps for the topend and the valves for the bass, but thats for another day.

 

any volunteers...

for a valve FAQ, or even some glossary entries?

For starters SET/push-pull/300b etc. - not too difficult to find what they mean, but what they (can) do would be more interesting.