Tube Amps for Studio Monitors

[alexc]

And PSU.

Now, for the hell of it and because my fixed bias circuit and PSU allows it, I'm going to sub some 6L6s and compare.
Then some 6550s as well. Give them an audition 

 

[emrr]

Looks good, thanks for the update.  Wish I could hear them. 

 

[Igor]

OMG!
Just saw the topic name...crazy!!!
I cannot agree with tube amps in any monitoring setup. Monitoring should be clean and fast.
But these amps looks really nice; great work! I'd like to listen them with Quad ESL63,
with active crossover and good sub hooked on Class D amp. Should be great for home,
if your plans never going to listen something heavy with fast transient content

 

[alexc]

Everyone has an  opinion   That's what makes the world a great place to be.

Some of the best music I ever heard was created and enjoyed well before 'Class D' ever was thought of.
And by people using tube amps!

I don't even know what music that is 'heavy and with fast transient content' means.

Is that like norwegian heavy metal or something? What ever it is, it ain't part of my world!

I'm listening to some Ry Cooder right now and it sounds downright awesome.

In the end, we are mostly free do whatever 'bakes our noodle', in accordance with the laws of physics and economics.

And these amps simply piss all over any of my commercial transistor amps, no doubt whatever.

Cheers

 

[Igor]

Don't want to be misunderstood, wanted to say, right tool for the right job.
I built myself over 10 tube amplifiers - for me and customers. EL34, KT66 PP, 300B SE.
Used Tomura and Hashimoto outs; than, trannies were homebrewed - for inputs I have good stock of Magmet laminations,
outputs/chokes/power trannies were done by my friend, who is still freak of tube amps.
There is a local company Eilor which makes custom rolled cores, their Hi-B is best iron for output trannies IMO.
I still have respect for tube amps when want to relax with a glass of good poison like Laphroaig or Oban,
listening Diana Krall or Ella Fitzgerald. Or Echoes. Audible distortion sometimes is good.
From the other side, for monitoring, I don't think any tube amp will piss out fast discrete transistor class A, inherently linear,
with about 20db feedback amount, design for mids/highs, plus Class D for subs.
For something like Tribal Tech or Pat Metheny Secret Story, or Porcupine Tree, I don't like to hear any colour in sound,
as well as for mixes or mastering - why should I listen to "good" sound, when it will not sound same outside?
More older I get, I want to listen clean. When I'll have a good deal for wall ATC oldies, this will be my next project for home,
and every bit from crossover till power amps will be another challenge.

BTW, only 4 high current pairs of relay contacts for load and 2 pairs for input, measurement mic,
1kHz signal and a person to switch amplifiers without telling you which is which needed to get your own decision.
Take your amps, and say medium range Hypex, equalize levels for +/-0.1 db, blind a/b, and write down a table of what you feel on different music.

The truth is in between. More people, more opinions. Dats good, agree.

Norwegian black? No way. Bad children.
Yes, sometimes I used to listen when I work at workshop very heavy stuff - like Carcass and Napalm Death, but
it is more state of mind than a music. Very bad recorded, though. Yes and Genesis are in my playlist too

BTW, you may try to make your amp completely balanced... CCA at the input and 1:1+1 good trannie, cross coupled feedback to both cathodes.
Output trannie in this case should be symmetric too, even worthy to try feedback through tertiary.

Anyway, just my $0.25. If tube amps for monitoring is the thing makes you happy, call me freak, same for you, hanshake and respect!

Interesting... Sansui SP2500.... May sound great for home, but.... Can you really hear the difference between MP3 320 and 16/44 with this setup on blind equal level test?

 

[alexc]

> Interesting... Sansui SP2500.... May sound great for home, but.... Can you really hear the difference between MP3 320 and 16/44 with this setup on blind equal level test?

Don't know, don't particularly care. As I've said, I'm not a professional audio engineer or designer.
I guess that's the sort of thing a professional spends their time deciding.

If you are asking me do I have any idea of what good sound is, then yes - I think I do.
Enough at least to serve my needs.

Anyway good luck to you and your professional clients. The world needs more highly complex and expensive systems.

And more discussions to debate their relative merits!

 

[Igor]

Ahm... well, "good sound" is like a good tits - neverending debate)
So good luck for tube amps! If have some mixes done with this setup, just drop a link - a normal curiosity.
If you just enjoy the "tube sound"on the way, my respect too, till start talking about Monster/Kimber cables
For me, the way is more important than the destination, however, results matter too.
Here is one of studios where some of my equipment work and I performed the maintenance etc for years,
now they reopened the best IMO mixroom in Israel.
Besides singing in Hebrew is weird, the quality is recognizeable even on Youtube.
http://www.youtube.com/user/KnesiyatHasechel
Another one -
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bestsellers-Music-World/zgbs/music/231254/ref=zg_bs_nav_m_h__1_m_h
(Somewhere Over The Rainbow - The Greatest Hits, 5th place for now)