edster00 Posted July 27, 2004 Share Posted July 27, 2004 Hi Trader, FWIW, I have tried many tube amps and a few SS amps with my Klipsch speakers. Of the tube amps, one of my favorites is the 6BQ5, I've owned 2 6BQ5 based amps, one single ended and one push pull. I also really like the KT66 type tube, I have a pair of KT66 monoblock amps that I have been listening to for the last few weeks, they are my newest amps and I am currently on the lookout for a quad of 350B tubes to try in the amps as they are supposed to be excellent. My favorite tube is the 2A3 though, I have had two different designs of 2A3 SET monoblocks and they are my favorite. I would love to hear a pair of 2A3 PP amps also, but I'll always own a pair of 2A3 SET amps. As always, YMMV, but these are my favorites at this point in time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jt1stcav Posted July 27, 2004 Share Posted July 27, 2004 I haven't had much experience yet with Klipsch and tubes, being a tube-noob myself. But I have to say that I've been most impressed with this lil' fella... An ordinary early 60s Magnavox 6BQ5/EL84 SE console power amp with as much as 2.5 to 3 watts per side, but with an extraordinary sound! It may not be the be-all end-all in SEP design, but it made my Cornwalls sing in upwards to 100dB and more without clipping! Highs aren't cut off, and bass response is tight and clear, not boomy. From the very short amount of time I had with my bro's JoLida JD 202A, this 40 WPC EL34-based PP amp also performed effortlessly with my Cornwalls...very musical indeed. So too with his new Dared VP-16 12 WPC 6V6GT-driven integrated PP amp...exceptionally smooth. And I'm now just beginning to appreciate my new BEZ 300B SET...WOW! Haven't had the chance yet to try chops' KT88-driven, 60+ WPC Consonance M100SE PP integrated...bet it'd sound fantastic! There are so many obvious choices with matching tubes with Klipsch, and to me they all sound very good. Is there even a bad choice of tubes with horn Klipsch? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
InventiveAudio.com Posted July 27, 2004 Author Share Posted July 27, 2004 Hi, Here is the amp I recently purchased off Ebay. I built a nice case out of Zebra wood. This amp is based on two 6BQ5 output tubes. The sound is warm and the mids are sweet. It does breakup a bit at higher volumes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erik Mandaville Posted July 27, 2004 Share Posted July 27, 2004 That is a great-looking zebrawood base, Trader! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
InventiveAudio.com Posted July 27, 2004 Author Share Posted July 27, 2004 B Clarke. My Price range is about 1500.00. I'd like to buy new or used. Vintage is OK too if the amp has been serviced. Erik: thanks for the kind words on the Zebra wood case. It still needs some sanding and the amp needs to be set into the recess I routed out for it. Right now it's sitting on top of the case on 4 rubber legs. Here is another pic of a sub I made to keep the wife happy. I can turn the driver against the wall and she gets her furniture and I get my sub. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erik Mandaville Posted July 27, 2004 Share Posted July 27, 2004 Very nice -- and clever, too. I also like all the little animals on top; my wife collects tons of those little critters! Is the sub a vented enclosure, and what is it being driven by? Is there an amp on the back of the cabinet? Erik edit: is there a chance that might be a Peerless driver? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
InventiveAudio.com Posted July 27, 2004 Author Share Posted July 27, 2004 Hi, I wanted tight clean bass so I went with a non-vented enclosure. I played with several sub amps and they all introduced too much distortion into the signal and I had problems with hum, buzzing, etc. Sub amps are not very good unless you spend big bucks. In the end I bought a cheap AMC bridgeable amp to drive the sub. It sounds wonderful. You don't know the sub is on until you turn it off. Even my wife loves the extra bass and commented on how much better the music she listens too sounds. Someday I would like to experiment with a passive radiator design. They go much lower and have a lot more "slam." The driver is a Titanic from Parts Express. My other sub is more functional then a looker. I used a 15" hand made driver by a company that moved onto wholesale and closed its retail outlet. This sub is powered with a B&K amp. It's in a room with wood floors and is very tight and mellow. Not boomy at all. I have my set amp hooked into my Denon 2200 DVD player's L&R channels so I can get the benefit of by passing my preamp and still have the output of the sub via my preamp. I even use the tube amp for home theater too. I'll post a pic of the bigger sub. Notice the grill it is made out of authentic cane speaker cloth. I ordered 2 years of the stuff and called back a week later and was told that they were no longer selling the cloth. This really sucked because I wanted to re-do all my speakers with it. The grill is also accented in Zebra wood. When I bought my first pair of Cornwall's new one of the options for the finish was Zebra wood. It was another 400.00 dollars on a 1200.00 speaker. I ordered them in birch..Dumb! I later sold them for a vintage pair of Cornwalls that had animals living in them. Smelled nice too. I re-habbed them and since they were lacquered I decided to re-skin them with maple. They look and smell great now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike stehr Posted July 27, 2004 Share Posted July 27, 2004 . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Audio Flynn Posted July 27, 2004 Share Posted July 27, 2004 "2) 20 Watts is the absolute minimum power you should use with any Klipsch speaker." There is no such thing as an "absolute"! +++++++++++++++++++++++ Neo, SO PWK was not studied and experienced enough to define absolutes? Maybe we need to wait for JC to come back and comment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jt1stcav Posted July 28, 2004 Share Posted July 28, 2004 Trader, great job on those subs, and that EL84 SEP amp (Magnavox?) looks great! Can't wait to see that amp recessed into the finished zebrawood case. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jazman Posted July 28, 2004 Share Posted July 28, 2004 trader, Nice craftsmanship. Klipsch out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ben. Posted July 29, 2004 Share Posted July 29, 2004 ---------------- On 7/27/2004 8:02:34 PM trader wrote: B Clarke. My Price range is about 1500.00. I'd like to buy new or used. Vintage is OK too if the amp has been serviced. ---------------- Lots of choices at that price point. DRD Welbornes are in that ballpark, and praise is widespread, though not universal for those. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
InventiveAudio.com Posted July 29, 2004 Author Share Posted July 29, 2004 I was thinking of a set amp based on the 6v6 or 6L6 tubes? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jt1stcav Posted July 29, 2004 Share Posted July 29, 2004 Here's an eBay auction for a 6V6GT-based SE 12 watt power amp: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=39783&item=5711747053 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3dzapper Posted July 29, 2004 Share Posted July 29, 2004 May I recommend for your listening pleasure: There is a pair on audiogon now: http://cls.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?ampstube&1095964042 Rick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guy Landau Posted July 29, 2004 Share Posted July 29, 2004 How about these? http://www2u.biglobe.ne.jp/~tossie/contents-E.010106.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cal Blacksmith Posted July 30, 2004 Share Posted July 30, 2004 ---------------- On 7/27/2004 12:24:45 PM neo33 wrote: "2) 20 Watts is the absolute minimum power you should use with any Klipsch speaker." There is no such thing as an "absolute"! ---------------- Neo, is that an "absolute" statement? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seti Posted July 30, 2004 Share Posted July 30, 2004 ---------------- On 7/27/2004 8:02:34 PM trader wrote: B Clarke. My Price range is about 1500.00. I'd like to buy new or used. Vintage is OK too if the amp has been serviced. Erik: thanks for the kind words on the Zebra wood case. It still needs some sanding and the amp needs to be set into the recess I routed out for it. Right now it's sitting on top of the case on 4 rubber legs. Here is another pic of a sub I made to keep the wife happy. I can turn the driver against the wall and she gets her furniture and I get my sub. ---------------- I would shop audiogon until the right deal comes along. There are always amps of great build quality at great prices available on audiogon you just have to watch and be ready to make an offer. It took me three weeks before I found the amps I wanted. Another thing I noticed is that most audiophiles take very good care of their gear so buying used shouldn't be as much of a concern. I also wouldn't limit to SET even though thats what I prefer. I would love to hear these quad II forty's on my belle's http://cls.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?ampstube&1095462347 . Thanks and good luck wish I was buying new gear... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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