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Post by ChrisB on Feb 10, 2019 23:45:29 GMT
Who's got a valve amp?
Why do you love it?
Is there a reason that you prefer valves over transistors? What does your amp do for you that others don't (or can't)?
Show some pictures!
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Post by julesd68 on Feb 10, 2019 23:58:43 GMT
I've got a Consonance Cyber 222 Mk2 preamp. It mates superbly with my Philips poweramp and with vinyl I find it really compelling. I'm using a quartet of TAD 6SN7 tubes and a NOS Toshiba GZ34 rectifier. Once I discovered this combo I knew it would be a long-term keeper. As long as I have my turntable I won't be selling it. It isn't a stereotypical warm tube sound - I find it really dynamic and punchy, with the TAD tubes being essentially neutral in character. There is something about tubes and vinyl; it really has been a joy to use. However strangely it just did nothing for the new digione system in which the passive volume control really shines. I have no idea for the huge discrepancy in performance between the two systems. I don't have a decent pic of it so this will have to do for the moment -  |
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Post by Firebottle on Feb 11, 2019 7:43:18 GMT
There has to be a valve in the system somewhere to give fluidity to the music IMO. I love using valves as they can be made very linear with low IMD. Here is a pic of my KIN phono/line preamp:  |
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Post by MartinT on Feb 11, 2019 8:04:50 GMT
There has to be a valve in the system somewhere to give fluidity to the music IMO. Heh, heh! |
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Post by jandl100 on Feb 11, 2019 8:06:35 GMT
Who's got a valve amp? Why do you love it? Is there a reason that you prefer valves over transistors? What does your amp do for you that others don't (or can't)? Show some pictures! I have a valve amp! Two actually - an integrated and a pre-amp.  -- I've had loads over the years. Current and keeper integrated is a Taiwanese el84 integrated from LA Audio.  It works marvellously with my backup speakers, Podium 0.5 panels, but not so good with my MBL speakers. Curiously, it sounds better with the Podiums than my main Trigon monoblocks which are fabulous with the MBLs. Go figure.  My main pre-amp is full of six 6922EH valves and sounds marvellous. Transparent, fast, detailed. A Herron VTSP-2. It's very fussy about valve types, but excels with Electro Harmonix. I almost sold the amp before I learned this.  Alan Firebottle visited when I had "upgraded" to fancy-pants Tesla gold pins, and his Chinese resistor volume control pre showed it a clean pair of heels, much to my dismay. Only later did I learn that the stock EH were the way to go, and the Herron is re-installed and is here to stay for the medium-to-long term.  Stock pics of the innards ...  "Is there a reason that you prefer valves over transistors?"
A really good valve pre will set the pace for small scale transient speed, detail and transparency, and will likely beat a similar priced transistor pre, imo & ime. Power valves I am a bit more iffy about, tending to avoid them these days - I've had loads of problems over the years with dodgy power valves. Always kind of waiting for the hisses and squeaks and rattles to start.  Not good for relaxing with, ime. Quite stressful. I just haven't had that sort of reliability issue with solid state power amps. I'd not readily go back to valves as my main power amp, but I keep the above el84 (a very reliable tube anyway ime) as an amp for backup speakers. |
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Post by Eduardo Wobblechops on Feb 11, 2019 11:55:41 GMT
Yes love valves, had quite a few amps over the years, mostly WAD stuff but for the last few years have been into OTL’s, which with the right speakers are unequalled IMO. Use a Transcendent Sound Mini Beast at the moment, but am getting round to building a set of their Pinnacle monoblocks which use four 300b’s per side. Am going to do a few mods to the standard circuit- some very high performance filament supplies, one for each 300b, and also some sort of delay for the B+ to give the valves an easier life and hopefully a longer one as eight 300b’s are not cheap!
Will probably then build their Masterpiece preamp, which also uses 300b.
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Post by petea on Feb 11, 2019 12:10:14 GMT
I became more intrigued by valves after buying a Lector Digicode DAC some years ago (which I still use with the Lector transport). Fluid is a good word when describing the difference it introduced into playback. I had no room for more valve gear in the UK, but I have installed a Lab 12 Suono in the German system (and have no ordered one for the UK and will just have to try and figure out to fit it in). The mid and treble and handling of vocals and acoustic instruments is very natural I think. Bass is probably not as tight, but tracks like "Walk on the Wild Side" work superbly in my system. This is a picture taken last year and it is now better supported (on a Townshend Platform) and the cables are sorted - also the source components have changed a bit (eg Teddy Pardo DAC for the NDX). This setup changes often as I have space in the studio to fiddle and try things out. I'll take a new picture later in the week if anyone is interested.  |
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Post by Chris on Feb 11, 2019 19:24:05 GMT
Yip,big valve fan here. I've two amps - both cheapo Chinese things that have been highly modified. I've an Affordable Valve Co EL34 which has been Wobblechopped and a Bewitch/A30 which runs KT88s/6550s in triode.
What I prefer aboutvalves is simply the sound. They seem to get closer to the emotion and the feeling behind music. I don't agree they should sound warm - a valve amp,to me,should be transparent and coupled with the right speakers simply highly accurate.
I genuinely love valve amps. If I had the skills I'd be building them left right and centre and would have loads.
It's taken me a while but the system I have,for the money,is exceptional.
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Post by Chris on Feb 11, 2019 19:30:22 GMT
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Post by Chris on Feb 11, 2019 19:32:07 GMT
There's a couple of guys building just now and they produce lovely valve amps. Quite fancy two - one off each of them!!
Just can't justify it though.
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Post by The Brookmeister on Feb 11, 2019 19:35:28 GMT
There has to be a valve in the system somewhere to give fluidity to the music IMO. I love using valves as they can be made very linear with low IMD. Here is a pic of my KIN phono/line preamp: There has to be a valve in the system somewhere to give fluidity to the music IMO, sorry but thats bollox. |
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Post by John on Feb 11, 2019 19:40:18 GMT
Dave you do have a poetic way with words  |
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Post by speedysteve on Feb 11, 2019 19:48:36 GMT
Have 3 out of 5 amps valve. In the right place they give a life and vividness of expression that few silicon amps can match. They do not have adequate damping factor to drive bass channels imo. Not even push pull. You could build a big enough one to do that I guess, but the heat and cost Vs pay back - nope.. My first real experience was replacing a bi-amp couple of hundred watt pc setup with one DIY push-pull and realising this was what music playback as all about. Okay I lost some bass control in that system, but the rest was magic. I put the expensive silicon amps on the market that evening, and build a KT88 push pull forthwith.. Never looked back. Attachments:
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Post by MartinT on Feb 11, 2019 20:15:17 GMT
I used to have a valve system and now I don't. I can see it both ways and respect both technologies when done well.
For me, there's no going back. Solid state gets closer to the actuality of music, warts and all.
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Post by John on Feb 11, 2019 21:16:04 GMT
I have liked the Radford when I heard it in a few systems including my own speakers once.
Had a few valve amps SAC KT88 Glowmaster and an Yaquin but last 5 years it been solid state for me, although have played with class D as well as class A/B
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Post by Deleted on Feb 14, 2019 6:08:18 GMT
No valve amps here. Got a valve dac which I bought in 2012 and have no interest in changing. Might upgrade a few bits mind. The only valve set up I’ve hear at someone’s house nearly took the enamel off of my teeth, sadly. I wanted to like it.
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Post by daytona600 on Feb 14, 2019 22:04:23 GMT
![]()  have a few 833 20wpc SET , 6c33c 16wpc OTL & 300b 300b monos do not use them very often as 16x300bs is not cheap 40wpc SET or 160wpc in PP mode |
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Post by Deleted on Feb 18, 2019 7:59:07 GMT
I became more intrigued by valves after buying a Lector Digicode DAC some years ago (which I still use with the Lector transport). Fluid is a good word when describing the difference it introduced into playback. I had no room for more valve gear in the UK, but I have installed a Lab 12 Suono in the German system (and have no ordered one for the UK and will just have to try and figure out to fit it in). The mid and treble and handling of vocals and acoustic instruments is very natural I think. Bass is probably not as tight, but tracks like "Walk on the Wild Side" work superbly in my system. This is a picture taken last year and it is now better supported (on a Townshend Platform) and the cables are sorted - also the source components have changed a bit (eg Teddy Pardo DAC for the NDX). This setup changes often as I have space in the studio to fiddle and try things out. I'll take a new picture later in the week if anyone is interested. That’s a cool looking system you have. |
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Post by petea on Feb 18, 2019 10:52:39 GMT
Thanks. As promised, here are a couple of photos of the system in its current state. Lab12 Suono power amplifier.  Overview (with Royd speakers connected)  |
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Post by MartinT on Feb 18, 2019 11:31:31 GMT
That's quite a lot of toe-in on the speakers. Do you listen near field?
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Not good for relaxing with, ime. Quite stressful. I just haven't had that sort of reliability issue with solid state power amps.
