valve sound but no heat

for complex reasons, I need a new integrated amp to drive efficient loudspeakers (97Db/w/m). I have a budget of £4000, crave the sound of a good pure class A 300B SET amp, but with extra dynmics and bass control. However, my situation dictates that transistor class A and valves are OUT becuase of heat output. Don't ask! Please can anyone reccomend a standard class A/B or class B solid state amp which might do this job?

 

hiya

I've never heard a non-valve amp that sounds like a valve amp. The nearest have been class 'a'... but still nothing like a valve amp.

Some people say 'lavardin' so perhaps check that one out.. but I wouldnt like to say you'll think it a replacement for a 300b!

 

thanks bottleneck.
I was reading on another forum that amplifier makers these days often 'tune' their products for a certain sound, so I was quite hoping that one of them had 'tuned' theirs to sound as above. I suspect that I am 'whistling dixie?'
Anyway, thank you. I will look at Lavardin.

 

Final Music 5 and 6 perhaps. Not sure that they would have the sound of a class A 300B SET, but I wouldn't expect that they'd have the sound of a typical tranny amp either, so perhaps worth considering.

I've never heard them, but they're consistently well reviewed and I've always been intrigued to have a listen. I believe Walrus stock them if you fancied a demo.

 

I think the AMR integrated sounds quite valve like with good bass control. It's about £4.4k IIRC.

 

Hi

Just looked at the Lavardin amps, and they have heat-sinks, so presumably a bias into class A.

Sorry...

 

Hi Chris,

Most (solid state) amps have heatsinks. I don't think they are Class A to full power. I don't remember them getting too hot. They can sound very good. I have heard them sounding very fine with some Living Voice speakers.

SCIDB

 

Amp but no heat

Yes, Lavardin is a good shout.

 

probably class a for first few watts, like the audio synthesis desire I use on for bass duties.

They are pretty good for the money too btw, if you want to spend less.

Heard quite a few amps like that, and I like them. Don't sound like a 300b though, but nothing does IMO.

 

I heard a Red Wine Audio player a while back (it was a 30 or 30.2 I think), and it had a great natural tone. Light and delicate, but transparent. Might be worth a look.

 

i had a graaf integrated amp and even tho it was a valve amp, it was enclosed and it had a small quiet fan that dissipated the heat, i suppose it depends on the problem being heat generated into the room by the amp or the actual body of the amp getting warm. nice sounding thing too even tho it needed a bit if TLC to get it to 100%

 

I don't think you will get the classic valve sound AND solid bass at the same time because a lot of the valve sound is due to high output impedance and that is exclusive of good control over the woofer.

I'd look at hybrid amps with valve line level stage and solid stage output stages.

Do Give the AMR a listen if you can, it sounds very good and I think it can be used as a power amp. Although that is a bit of a waste of its capabilities.

 

I think that's too cut and dry to reflect my own experiences.

If it's highly damped, and somewhat sat upon sound - then huge damping factors and hundreds of watts will do that....with the appropriate bass cone/speaker combination.

'Tight bass' is how I'd describe that.

My own bass tests - Playing Dub, Reggae, ... or as right now LTJ Bukem, I have full sounding bass, with what (to my ears) is a realistic decay time.

I find that matching the power / signature of the amplifier to the speakers can kill the bass, or make it sound at it's best.

IME, it's about matching the bass cone to the amplifier which suits it best.

For example with a bass cone such as this - http://www.greatplainsaudio.com/downloads/515_G.pdf

then a high power solid state amplifier wouldn't be something I'd care to hear, it's a woofer that sounds at it's best with lower power amplifaction.


It's not just a power / damping factor issue where ''more is more'' IMO, it's about system matching.

 

I had IS and now IT - both run cold. I do not know why IT has heat sinks, by touching it you would never be sure if it is on or off. IS has no sinks. I doubt if you can get a colder running amp with such a sound. It is not a "tube sound", definately not a "SET tube sound", but may well be the next best thing if not THE best thing with some speakers. It betters tubes ( at least similarly priced tube amps) in some respects and late models are completely trouble free - you just switch it on and forget about it. They do not consume much energy and stay cool 24/7. In more than one sense. :MILD:
There is no bias to Class A btw, Lavardin do not believe in it. Although it is so right on the money with its speed and microdynamics you would think it can not be AB.

 

I had it with EAR 890 - but it is a powerful amp with 4 KT90s PER CHANNEL and it heats the room like a stove. The transformers were as hot as an iron.

Basically you can have both with many good tube amps, but you need proper speakers, mostly horns with properly done horn bass section. Then you will have the bass Solid State could never come even close no matter how many watts.

 

Reminds me of my ASR Emitter. Actually was not too hot as well. Power supply was surprisingly cool for such a beast with the main box a bit warm. Should have kept it maybe... not as good as Lavardin in some respects although timbres were gorgeous and power reserves bottomless. Another trouble free amp. On/off had 4 positions.

 

Try listen to Sonneteer Campion(about 1K new but rare as hens' teeth S.H.) I've used this amp. with 97db sensitivity Cabasse with very successful result. A valve buffer between phono stage and amp.produced even larger soundstage should that be of interest.

 

many thanks for all the advice. I have taken on board the general opinion that no such thing exists, and that is much as I suspected, but one has to ask.
Looks like I may have to re-design the house and one or two ther changes to allow for hot stuff then!

 

One of my favourite hifi gurus - Kevin of Definitive Audio and Living Voice .. once said to me that of the none valve brands, Lavardin was amongst his favourite.

That is 'reccomendation enough' for me, and I'd look at this brand quite considerably - someone said they don't get hot on here, so there you go..

For Kevin (and me), you just can't beat a good valve amp though. There is nothing quite the same, once bitten forever smitten I feel.