Relic Posted February 18, 2001 Share Posted February 18, 2001 How might my '78 Cornwalls sound with a 30 watt tube integrated supplying the juice? I'm thinking of getting one of the Antique Sound Lab's AQ-1003DT amps. Will I be happy? I know 98.5db sens. doesn't need too much juice, and I believe 30 sweet tube watts might do the trick. But how does this particular amp sound? I haven't heard too much about it, but its price is low enough to warrant a listen. I would just like to know if anyone else is using it with their Klipschs'. Thanks for any info. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheEvan Posted February 18, 2001 Share Posted February 18, 2001 Tubes & Klipsch are made for each other. Then again, some solid state works very well too, like McIntosh. Or my late lamented NEC A-11 which sounded fantastic. Haven't tried the ASL's but I've tried 4 other tube combinations (including my present Jolida) and all sound great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randy Bey Posted February 18, 2001 Share Posted February 18, 2001 30 tube watts will allow your Cornwalls to plaster you to the rear wall. Tubes and horns, love at first sight. Do it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joemcten Posted February 18, 2001 Share Posted February 18, 2001 Relic, I have tested several ASL amps and they have all been spectacular with my Lascala's. I agree with Randy, 30 wpc with Cornwalls will part your hair! I would buy with complete confidence.Joe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray Garrison Posted February 18, 2001 Share Posted February 18, 2001 What are you using now, and how do you like it? Does it provide the full volume you want with everything you listen to? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Relic Posted February 19, 2001 Author Share Posted February 19, 2001 quote: Originally posted by Ray Garrison: What are you using now, and how do you like it? Does it provide the full volume you want with everything you listen to? Roy, I'm currently using McIntosh gear: MC-2105 and C-26. There's plenty of power, but I'm thinking of getting tubes because "it's the first watt that's most important". We'll see. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randy Bey Posted February 19, 2001 Share Posted February 19, 2001 Ray, I've got an 8 watt 300B based pair of amps from Welborne Labs. I'll never go back. I was afraid that PJ Harvey wouldn't stick her tongue in my ear anymore....all warm and wet. Didn't happen. I can listen to music as loud as I ever did with my SS NAD. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lynnm Posted October 10, 2001 Share Posted October 10, 2001 I am eagerly awaiting delivery of my Antique Sound Labs AQ1003DT having auditioned it along with the absolutely amazing Wave-8's. The deciding factor was that a a pair of Waves and a preamp came in at about C$200.00 less than the AQ1003DT and the 1003 offered a somewhat richer sound due to it's nearly quadruple power output. That said - I suspect that a lot of people who should be auditioning the waves will not because they will assume that a tube amp at U$119.00 must be a POS,(just as they would assume a U$750.00 30w/ch tube amp must be junk) - They would be wrong on both counts!! The sound stage on the AQ1003 is broad and deep. Localization of vocalists and instruments was extraordinary without any trace of the notorious "Stereo" effect. What was on the left was there because it was --well errr -- on the left "in the wild" as it were - as opposed to sounding as if the drums for example were placed there by the producer or recording engineer. Contrary to what many "experts" will tell you - you can get solid base from a tube amp. That amp was damned near rattling the windows on some (very decent) 92 db. speakers and I confirmed that there was no subwoofer tucked into a corner somewhere being driven by a high power amp. What I listened to was Willie Nelson and a small backup group. At no time was I listening to the amp,(except when I was listening for it). One of the hallmarks of this amplifier is that even though I was auditioning it with an eye to purchasing it - I frequently found myself wandering off target and simply enjoying the music and the performance. Bottom Line ?? - With any luck at all I will have it on Friday <GRIN>. P.S. This amp had been reviewed by Ultra High fidelity magazine and been well received but an essentially identical unit,(PAK i11) from Passion Audio Kits,(built in the same factory in China),had received a higher rating because it had better O/P transformers,(superior core), and attenuators,(ALPS,)- Which the reviewers clearly stated provided superior performance (albeit at a significantly higher cost). The current version of the AQ1003 DT features higher quality O/P transformers and ALPS attenuators. I can confidently state that the purchase of either an Antique Sound Labs AQ1003DT or a Passion Audio Kits i11K is money well spent for the audiophile without bottomless pockets.(Don't lose sleep over the fact that your new $750.00 amp sounds better than your buddy's $7000.00 per channel super monoblocks and $12000.00 preamp - He still has braggin' rights - Just ask his Mortgage and Loan Company ! <GRIN> AKA Give the Antique Sound Labs and Passion Audio Kit lines a listen. ------------------ It is meet to recall that the Great Green Heron rarely flies upside down in the moonlight - (Foo Ling ca. 1304 BCE) This message has been edited by lynnm on 10-10-2001 at 11:35 PM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lynnm Posted October 10, 2001 Share Posted October 10, 2001 Quote: "30 tube watts will allow your Cornwalls to plaster you to the rear wall" So Err- uhmm - the AQ1003 should light up my 30's <GRIN> ------------------ It is meet to recall that the Great Green Heron rarely flies upside down in the moonlight - (Foo Ling ca. 1304 BCE) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mobile homeless Posted October 11, 2001 Share Posted October 11, 2001 I am still reeling a bit from a mail I received from ole Al Klappenberger when I inquired about his Type B Crossovers for Klipsch Cornwall 1 horns. He made no bones about his disdain for SET amps saying they were mainly guilty of producing distortion. Funny, I thought anyone into the vintage Klipsch lines would appreciate what a well-designed low watt, zero feedback, single ended triode amp can do. Ironically enough, it was Paul Klipsch himself who proclaimed, "What the World REALLY needs is a good 5 watt amp!" Indeed, I do believe ye ole Paul voiced his famous horns while using a Brook 2A3 amp coming in around 5 watts or less. It's almost become cliche now, but what is the good of 50, 100, or even 200 watts if the first watt is horror? And that is where the single-ended triode comes bounding ahead, even in comparison with other triode wired amps of the push pull variety. OF course, all single-ended amps are not created equal and you will have many debates on the matter. Does the Parafeed Bottlehead Paramour smoke the Don Garber Fi X? Do the Wright Sound 3.5 Monoblocks have it over the Moth? And what about those ole Moondogs? And where does Cary fit in? Well, there is nothing clear cut here. One thing is for sure, since the circuit of a single ended amp is so damn simple, sometimes consisting of only a handful of parts, everything does indeed matter. Those pesky coupling caps DO change the sound, and not in a subtle way. Tantalum or Metal film resistors? Yep, you will be able to tell in a well designed single ended amp.... The heart of any tube amp is the transformers. The outputs have such a dramatic affect on the sound, which is why some of the vintage iron like the little EICOs sometimes end up smoking modern amps far more costly. I still listen to my EICO HF-81 every day, this along with a 1954 EICO FM tuner that put my $700 Sumo Athena Aurora tuner back in its box. Ditto with my last solid state amp, which hit the chopping block; $2000 of 200wpc B&K mosfet monoblocks replaced by a 1959 14w EL-84, triode input, williamson design, original parts and all! So throw your preconceived notions out the door, along with the mid-fi SS bells and whistles receiver with color wattage bar graph... Simple is indeed better. It sure is damn hard to explain this to the average Stereokyle. What is the most fun is when they sit down in the sweet spot with a dumb stare, goosebumps rising, asking once again, "how many watts is that again???" Looking forward to some horns to push me along to different points of the drama... kh http://12.16.160.65/system/set.htm f>s>s y s t e m Linn LP-12/Linn Basic Plus/Sumiko Blue Point Rega Planet Cary Audio SLP-70 w/Phono Modified Creek OBH-12 Passive Welborne Labs 2A3 Moondog Monoblocks DIYCable Wire - Various ProAc Mini Towers Alternate System: EICO HF-81 ASUSA A-4 EL-34 UL EICO HFT-90 Tube FM Tuner Sumo Aurora Tuner Nakamichi CR-7a s> This message has been edited by mobile homeless on 10-11-2001 at 01:04 AM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weiming Posted October 11, 2001 Share Posted October 11, 2001 I agree with what mobile homeless has said. I was previously using a YBA solid state amp (45 watts into 8 and 90 into 4) with my Cornwall Is. It sounded ok, but nothing fantastic. It was only after I put in a pair of Paraglows that the Cornwalls came alive. Mind you, I was getting mindblowing levels from all the 2.5 watts the amps had to offer. The Cornwalls rocked, they jazzed, they vocalized... I can confidently say that my hifi journey is now at an end. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randy Bey Posted October 11, 2001 Share Posted October 11, 2001 A granite rock on your Creek? Gee, I always thought marble was sonically superior. And I have performed the kh upgrade to my OBH-12 with a tiny twist... the LEDs have been snipped. This is because of two factors: 1) wifey always obsesses over equipment that is "always on" 2) LEDs have been generally trashed as contributing to noise in electric circuits. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fini Posted October 11, 2001 Share Posted October 11, 2001 Randy, the creek near my house has lots of basalt in (on) it. I think it depends on where you live! Mobile Homeless, I'm enjoying your posts, well written and quite polite (which matters, ya know). Your system website is very well done, showing your equipment as if they were museum pieces (or yesterday's supermodels). Gorgeous. Thanks, fini Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dubai2000 Posted October 11, 2001 Share Posted October 11, 2001 Relic, I also use the MC-2105 but my preamp is a C 29. I must say that together with my '73 Khorns (and ALK x-overs) I am very happy indeed. Perhaps a tube amp might even be more ....magical(?), but I can also echo Ray and ask what it is about the sound you don't like. Having already got great (in my opinion ss gear) why don't you consider Al's crossover network for the Cornwalls first? I must say switching from the Khorns AA to Al's was most certainly a more dramatic improvement than any change of amp (and I don't want to belittle anybody's opinion when it comes to ss or tubes!). Wolfram Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Posted October 11, 2001 Share Posted October 11, 2001 beautiful site, mobile! ------------------ horns & subs; lights out & tubes glowing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mobile homeless Posted October 11, 2001 Share Posted October 11, 2001 Thanks for the compliments Colin; also wanted to thank you for getting back to me concerning the Cornwall inquiries, although I wished you would have gone into a bit more detail on the speakers themselves. Basically, it looks like I am going to be buying these beasts "sight unheard," something I have only done once in all my years of equipment pleonexia. Not only have I never heard the Cornwalls, but I haven't heard a vintage Klipsch in over 25 years! Given all the varied opinions on Klipsch horns (owners love them, others are horrified), I have been more than a bit leary of the whole affair. I guess I need someone to push me off the cliff, so to speak(er). For any of you on a budget, and wanting to taste tubes, don't forget the vintage option. I cant tell you how nice that early EICO gear sounds. Also, the AV8 monoblocks can put out some nice sounds. Kevin Haskins of DIYCable (great wire by the way), had a great demo running the little AV8 amps with some Adire HE10.1 high efficiency monitors at the 2001 VSAC. I couldn't make it, but heard it got a very good response. But to put the EICO in perspective, I have an ASUSA A-4 EL-34 amp and my friend's Jolida 302B. Both of these amps have received very glowing reviews as great valve amps for the money with good sonics. Well, the 40 year old EICO HF-81, coming in at under half the power (power is the most overrated spec in all of audio), just outclassed both EL-34 offerings, sounding far more refined, with better inner detail and air. Believe it or not, it was also quieter than either of the other amps. The transformers are really top notch and there is something magical about tube rectification. Many claim that solid state power rectification is tighter and more extended; I personally have always preferred the tube approach as it sounds more relaxed and musical. Enough of my blather. If you want to see some of this equipment I am referring to, all of it is hunkering down within the site below. Thanks for the comments, Fini! And don't believe everything Randy says...the man has never been the same since he went 300B and K-Horn. kh Assorted junk cluttering abode f>s> This message has been edited by mobile homeless on 10-11-2001 at 04:14 PM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Adams Posted October 12, 2001 Share Posted October 12, 2001 Mobile Homeless - If I may be so bold...please allow me to "push you off the cliff". Not very long ago, I bought a pair of 1971 Cornwalls basically on a whim. They were truly something I did not need for they would neither fit into my HT plans nor in the one room of the house I can claim is all mine - AKA "the computer room". Fortunately, our 4 bedroom house has one bedroom that is completely vacant except for the lone vacuum cleaner that lives there (hence it's known as the vacuum clean room). And it's the vacuum cleaner room that my Cornwalls have claimed squatters rights to. But I digress.... Your push - DO IT!! It pains me to no end to think that once my *#%&@ custom A/V cabinet comes in (ARGHHH!! ), my Cornwalls will go to the vacuum cleaner room and won't be a part of the HT set-up. The upside is that they will be part of a music only room. From the day I brought them home I've been amazed at their sound. I've re-listened to just about every one of my CD's and more times than not were WOW'd by what I hadn't heard before. And many times I've turned off my sub and listened to them in stereo direct only. Although they're being driven by a SS reciever, I'd love to hear them with a tube amp. Hey - maybe the music room will be my opportunity?? At any rate, I can't imagine anyone not liking the sound of these things, but I'm sure there are. My gut tells me you will be very pleased with them. Tom Adams ps: I too am very impressed with your website. <sigh>...one of these days....... This message has been edited by Tom Adams on 10-12-2001 at 01:21 PM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fini Posted October 12, 2001 Share Posted October 12, 2001 Tom, I thought that was your sock room. fini Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TBrennan Posted October 13, 2001 Share Posted October 13, 2001 Mobile--You gotta understand, lots of us were hornys long before this SET thing got going. All through the 70s I was driving LaScalas and big EVs and JBLs with Crowns, SS Fisher, Dynaco 400s and stuff like that and getting very good sound. Lots of Klipsch guys use Mac amps as Mac and Klipsch were often sold in the same stores and that sounds damned good. Now yeah, I think good tube amps sound better than SS too, (I got interested in tubes and Altec after hearing a friend's mono system with one 1957 "Hollywood" A7 VOT driven by a Knightkit tube integrated amp) I drive the JBL-Edgar Saladbowl top-end of my big rig with a Fisher SA-100 and drive my Altec 605s with an ASL SET, but lots of veteran hornys are getting very satisfying sound with SS. The best sound IMO is bi-amping (real bi-amping, you know, with an active crossover) using SS on the woofs and tubes on the compression drivers, the best of both worlds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lynnm Posted October 23, 2001 Share Posted October 23, 2001 I finally got my AQ1003DT.It sounded glorious with my KLF-30's but it cratered on the fourth day I had it. When I took it back to my dealer,(Pete Segstro at "The Audio Room in Calgary), the first thing he said was I'll have to send this back to Montreal but I'll give you something decent to use until it gets back-This without being asked!! That is Customer Service!! When I get back from work tonight I'll be hooking up a Rega 35 w./ch integrated. The ASL/KLF-30 combination,(notwithstanding the breakdown),is everything I expected and more ------------------ It is meet to recall that the Great Green Heron rarely flies upside down in the moonlight - (Foo Ling ca. 1304 BCE) This message has been edited by lynnm on 10-23-2001 at 08:22 PM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.