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To drive my Heresys...


Stainz

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I started with tubes but quickly went to SS when they proved more reliable. To 'try' tubes now, would I be okay with an 8-10 Wpc amp, like a Gemtune X1, or should I jump in with both feet and buy a Yaqin MC-13S (40+ Wpc)? My only source will be a CDP and the Heresys are in my home office. They are currently fed by a 50 Wpc Emotiva A-100 BasX - and it has plenty of power! Thanks!

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  • 2 weeks later...

I'm going to guess your office/listening area isn't bigger than 12x20 so a 10wpc tube amp is plenty. 

klipsch speakers are so efficient they need very little tube power to drive them.

might I suggest looking into musical paradise mp-301 (6.5 wpc). it uses 6L6 or el34 power tubes & I personally think it has a much better sound than the couple of yaquin amps I've heard

 

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Ummm need more info....

 

Room size

Genre of music

Where is the sweet spot (how far are you from the heresy's)?

What other equipment do you have besides the Emo (Which I Love by the way).

Done in room measurements etc etc?

Subs?

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I have the Emo's predecessor, the a-100 mini-X, also fed by the same model CDP (Onkyo C-7030's), in my upstairs 'bonus' room where it drives my RB-81ii's with plenty of headroom from it's 50 W. My office is a 12' x 11.5' x 9' carpeted bedroom with plantation shutters over the window. My '77 vintage Heresys are along the longer wall and canted inward ~40 degrees while the front flat risers rest on 1.5" carving blocks - they are centerline to centerline 7' apart with my ears normally 3.5' - 4' from said centerlines. I'll be 69 Sunday - but my hearing seems older, with decreased mid and rolled off hi frequency response is often compounded by tinnitus. Still... I enjoy  listening to my  music.

 

I repaired tube & ss eqmt after school & weekends from '64 until graduating HS in '66 then Saturdays while I was attending Auburn. I got my 1st Class Radiotelephone License in '68 then joined the USN as an Electronics Tech until late '72, then back to Auburn to finish my degree in physics. While back there I chiefed at an FM station, repaired radiac gear, and worked on hifi gear.  I taught electronics and telecommunications full time '75-'95 and took care of a couple of FM and one AM station. All of this is to show that I've paid my dues working on hollow and solid state gear... and I prefer the latter. In 1964 I bought a 10-15 Watt mono ultra-linear/Williamson pp 6V6 amp kit from the local Lafayette Radio associates store and built it to drive my homebrew crude copy of a Heresy speaker, fed by a Garrard changer with a Shure cartridge. The amp ate 6V6's - and I recall TungSols being gassy and generally 'cheap', probably explaining why so many tv repair tube caddy's back then were full of them. No love here for tubes, I was hoping someone would sing the virtues of one amp over another, although I suppose they did in the MP-301. Thanks! I think the 6.5W would be sufficient for my listening (jazz, r&r, classical, & folk).

 

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  • 3 weeks later...

I dallied a bit too long and Amazon Prime was out of the Yaqin version of the MC-13S (with plexi covers), although they now have the GemTune version - likely identical. I ordered a Musical Paradise MP-301 mk3 Deluxe with a spare pair of EL34 (... and the stock 6L6G's!) direct from M.P. - it's on it's way to NY as I type this. They are not available from Amazon Prime, either. I'm guessing I'll have it here Tuesday - maybe.

 

 

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will pair nicely with your heresys'. it's an easily tweakable amp if you so choose. changing power cord, interconnects & speaker cables can produce great improvements too. have fun & be sure to keep us in the loop with your impressions

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After weekending in NY, my amp cleared customs yesterday and is finally on it's way here (Pinson is NE of Birmingham.), although it is now, Tuesday, only in Jamaica, LI, NY. I should see it by the weekend... I hope!

 

The power cord delivered with the amp is sub-standard? Good grief! Where else did he cut corners?

 

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by no means do I mean the power cord is sub standard.

I find that different power cords can sometimes have an effect on the sound of your amp, in some cases almost as much as changing interconnects or tubes. (I know it shouldn't cause it's only drawing power & is not connected to the signal path, but for some reason it does)

we had a listening party where everyone brought an aftermarket power cord from their own system. 1 song, take notes, change power cord & replay same song, repeat. we were amazed, 5 different cords & they all had a different effect to the song.

 

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Wow - that is hard to believe! Were adult beverages consumed during the testing?

 

Of course, I have seen the rationale for 'special' speaker wires and connectors, as well as line level unbalanced audio cables... I suppose anything is possible.

 

By chance, is the three terminal IEC power connector wired to standard, or are the Hot & Neutral reversed? That could make a ground loop (hum) - or, with a failed RF capacitor, put AC on the chassis should the ground also fail. Don't laugh - HP equipment is wired normally, while Eberline is reversed - I found a new reversed Belden AC cord on evil-bay ($8!) for my E. MS-3 Geiger Counter/Scaler - possible disaster averted.

 

John

 

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My amplifier arrived yesterday and was promptly put in place of my Emotiva A-100 BasX on my desk, connected to my Onkyo C-7030 CDP and Heresys. My first CD was Paul Simon's "Graceland" followed by Getz/Byrd "Jazz Samba" and ending in my Deutsche Grammophon set of Karajan conducting the Berliner Philharmoniker in Tchaikovsky - yes, I played the 1812 Overture on my new amplifier. My initial reaction was ho-hum... it didn't sound different from my SS amp. Sadly, my tinnitus is acting up, but I did notice no hum or noise at max volume over my old Koss Pro-4AA 'phones or the Heresys. I noticed some instruments seem to be singled out more easily - as if separated from the main musical body - cymbals being an example. Weird - but more listening is required. I have the stock tubes in place.

 

John

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I went to the Huntsville Hamfest Saturday and secured a pair of NOS RCA 6SJ7 pre-amp tubes for $3.75/ea. They seem to sound more spacious, if that seems possible. I just swapped the PRC-made 6L6G replacements with the extra EL-34B's that came with the amp - I cannot tell the difference! It really is plenty loud - and uncannily clear - hard to believe it's just 6.5 Watts - of course, running Class A SET, I assume, it's a warm running amp -  I measured the temp with my reflected ir thermometer:

(in degrees Fahrenheit)

Ambient 77 F

Transformer  111-121 F

Front panel   100 F

6SJ7 top (metal)   147 F

EL-34B top (getter)  280 F

Electrolytic cap top  130  F

 

The amp really does sound good with my vintage Heresys... and I don't need more power... yet!

 

John

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Stainz, your technical background, education, and experience are very much appreciated.  Like you, I'm in the boomer age bracket, but with a non-technical background.  I still have decent hearing, have to deal with high frequency loss, but hanging in there.  Audio has been an off and on hobby since the mid 70's.  As of this moment, I have a restored Marantz 2270 receiver hooked up to Forte 1 speakers and an Arcam FMJ A-19 amp hooked up to some Cornwall II's.  Do vinyl with a Thorens 125 turntable and Shure V-15 III.   Do CD's with an Arcam CD player.    In the last couple of years, the tube bug has bitten me a time or two.  The H.H. Scott LK72 tube amp was nice, and the Jolida 1701BRC hybrid amp was pretty good too.  Sold both of them, but still dreaming about having one of those little SET tube amps that so many Klipsch owners are talking about.   

 

Your last post of the Musical Paradise MP-301 Mk 3 deluxe was quite positive.   Are you still impressed with this amp over the SS amps you had previously?

I'm on the balance beam about purchasing the Musical Paradise and would really value what you are hearing that makes it better or different than your previous amps.  Many thanks.

 

Bill (RightDeaf)

Edited by RightDeaf
correction on Marantz model
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Even Bonnie Raitt's album, "Luck of the Draw", sound's better on the little tube amp. Loreena McKennitt's live album, "Nights from the Alhamra", sounds phenomenally different, the individual instruments easily placed in space... if that makes sense to you (I wouldn't have believed it!). It's like... over there is the cello... there is the violin... and... wth - a hurdy gurdy? (The original 'wah - wah' machine!)  Oddly, I thought the Emotiva a-100 mini-X, bought two falls back on a fall sale for $150 sounded better than it's predecessor (Onkyo TX-8020.), especially with those Heresys, although not so different with the NHT SuperOne 2.1's (I'm afraid to try them with the 6.5 Wpc tube amp as their SPL is 86 dB, while the Heresys are 96 dB!). The new headphone output on it's replacement, the A-100 BasX, combined with it's fall Sale price of $180 (Both were steals at their regular price of $230 shipped... no brainers at less!) sold me on the second one. I doubt I'll say good-bye to any of the amps! The MP-301 MK3 sounds so much different and better that I haven't been upstairs to listen to ny RB-81ii's this week. Mine has the stock/OEM PRC-made 6L6G equivalents and my pair of new old stock (& tested!) metal RCA 6SJ7's ($3.75/ea at the Huntsville Hamfest 8/19/17.). Yeah, I like the MP-301 MK3!

 

John

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Muchas Gracious!   John, you've helped me make a decision to go for the MP-301 MK3.  At one time Emotiva was discussing a budget tube amp; however, they have apparently dropped that idea and decided to stay with SS.  I have owned two of their CDP's, and they were excellent.  Thanks for suggestions on tube choices.   

 

Bill (RightDeaf)

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I took it upstairs where it had another C-7030 CDP as it's input - same records were played first with the Emotiva a-100 mini-X then the MP-301. The corner located RB-81ii's on HD24 stands were used as loads. That's the best sound that has come from those speakers! The HF was great as was the LF extension - slightly greater than the Heresy's! The MF was 'there' - sort of - nothing like the MF 'squawker' (horn) of the Heresy - but darned good, nonetheless! After cool down it went back downstairs to my office - and the Heresys - the RB-81ii's went back to the Emotiva amp.

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