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Post by ews0899 on Feb 10, 2014 23:06:52 GMT -5
I am listening to gallo 3.5 reference speakers. Initially I had a revel sub. I was going to go to stereo subs, but was running out if real estate. I reviewed and read and reviewed some more before deciding to try the gallo sub amp that paired up with my gallo speakers. What I found was amazing bass, but even more I found that powering the secondary voice coils of the gallos added soundstage and more air around the instruments. I do not lack, rest assured. The gallos are slightly forward and so seem to lend themselves to tubes. However Anthony gallo the designer uses spectron class d amps to provide power for demos, etc. fwiw the tubes sound heavenly at bw 70-85 db. Below that they sound flat compared to the xpa2. Anything approaching 100db and the tube amps run out of steam while the the xpa just keeps throwing current at the speakers. Heck not even half of the blue LEDs illuminate on the emotiva at 100db! Some might actually prefer the forward hyper detailed sound provided by the xpa2. For me the smooth luscious sound at the db I routinely listen is intoxicating. Regardless I whole heartedly recommend the gallos. They match superbly with the emotiva amps. --–--------------–------------------------------------------ 2out2sea--- +1 on the Gallo 3.5's paired with the Gallo sub amp, depth and presence of the bass is intoxicating. Equipment is powered by SS equipment and up until last month was a tad bright in the midrange. I added a IFI tube buffer to the chain about a month ago, and while it seems to have tamed the "shrill-ness" (if that is a word), I still haven't found the wow factor. Don't get me wrong, the Gallo's really shine in my room but still considering tweaking and switching out the Sherbourn Pre1 for something that can tame the brightness. This is where I get lost as I don't have the depth of knowledge with tube preamps and don't know what manufacturer would match up well with my XPR2 and Gallo's. The pre1 was a planned hold over until I settled on what would work best. Needless to say it's been 12 months and many projects later and focusing on the 2 channel room again. Overall, you sound very pleased with 3.5's and would welcome any suggestions on a mid range preamplifier in the 1500-2000ish budget. Happy listening! Ed |
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Post by 2out2sea on May 14, 2014 23:18:49 GMT -5
Ed,
Sorry for the delayed reply. I have not been back on the forums in some time. Work has been hectic, and to be honest I am in the middle of having a boutique tube preamp built for me. Funnily enough it's from a company called emotive. 18 tubes and a pile of money. I am hoping for audio nirvana.
Now to your question regarding tube pre amps. I cannot recommend the audible illusions line of pre amps highly enough. They were my first foray into tubes over 15 years ago. I have never regretted the purchase for one minute. Some of the older 2c and 2d models can be had for 400.00! They also come equipped with a pretty good phono section if that's your cup,of tea. The circuit in the ai pre amps is simple and they are true dual mono. Messing with two volume dials can be annoying, but when there is a discrepancy between channels it is nice to have independent gain control. There is also a noticeable difference in imaging with dual mono. I am actually concerned about this with my soon to be completed custom pre.
Another option that won't break the bank is decware. Hand built tube gear with a warranty better than emotivas! I have never heard the decware gear, but have corresponded with fellow audiophiles who swear by Steve's creations. They hold their value as well which is promising.
Next I would look into prima Luna. Check out upscale audio. Kevin deal knows more about tubes than just about anybody. He even has occasional demo deals on the prima Luna gear. Prima Luba gets amazing reviews at its price point, and the build quality is over the top. It looks like jewelry. The point to point wiring is as nicely done as you will ever see.
You should also look into a used audio electronic supply aes3 djh hot rod edition pre. It's a small pre that Dennis had from Cary audio put out a few years ago. They can be had for under 800.00 and are amazing for the price. They don't however have a lot of inputs, so review them carefully.
Lastly there is jolida. I have a friend who I recommended buy a jolida 502 15 years ago. That amp is still going strong and sounds good to my ear. It's an integrated 60w with 6550 tubes and he paid less than 800.00 for it new. I don't think he's ever even biased the thing! I am fairly sure that any of their integrated amps can be rub as preamps only. The little 202 might be just the ticket.
Whew, I hope that helps. I will try to return to this thread more often to follow your progress. Best of luck.
Brad
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Post by audiobill on May 15, 2014 6:07:13 GMT -5
Don't overlook tubes4hifi.com.
Excellent line of tube preamps, either kit or assembled form from first-class components.
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Post by 2out2sea on May 16, 2014 23:09:56 GMT -5
Funny you mention tubes4hifi, the glowing pic of the 120 has been my wallpaper for many months. Price however for assembled is nearing aes djh territory unless you DIY.
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Post by Boomzilla on May 17, 2014 8:48:44 GMT -5
Good report thus far, Boom. I am glued to this thread for further updates. By the way, do you have your XPA there to do some A/B testing? Nope. |
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Post by audiobill on May 17, 2014 11:47:43 GMT -5
Funny you mention tubes4hifi, the glowing pic of the 120 has been my wallpaper for many months. Price however for assembled is nearing aes djh territory unless you DIY. I diy'd the M125s. Four KT 120's per side; can use KT88s. 140w rms in pentode, and 70wrms in triode mode, switchable on the fly. Class A for first third of power, so that's 42w in pentode or 21w in triode of Class A tube power. Triode sounds wondrous through my Dynaudio Geminis! |
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chads
Seeker Of Truth
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Post by chads on Feb 6, 2023 17:16:23 GMT -5
Just curious Boomzilla. Where is that XPR-2 now?
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Post by Boomzilla on Feb 6, 2023 21:01:10 GMT -5
Long gone…. The residence to me of the average audio item at Casa Boom used to be one to three months. Any more, it’s closer to one to three years.
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Lsc
Emo VIPs 
Posts: 3,434
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Post by Lsc on Feb 7, 2023 10:40:36 GMT -5
Tonewinner has an interesting amp similar to the XPR2. Not the bargain of the century prices like the XPR amps but not bad in this day. $2850.
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Post by brutiarti on Feb 7, 2023 12:04:01 GMT -5
Tonewinner has an interesting amp similar to the XPR2. Not the bargain of the century prices like the XPR amps but not bad in this day. $2850. Do you have the model #? They offer only 2 years warranty, too risky I think |
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Lsc
Emo VIPs
Posts: 3,434
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Post by Lsc on Feb 7, 2023 15:12:02 GMT -5
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Post by garbulky on Feb 7, 2023 15:36:42 GMT -5
Tonewinner has an interesting amp similar to the XPR2. Not the bargain of the century prices like the XPR amps but not bad in this day. $2850. Do you have the model #? They offer only 2 years warranty, too risky I think That looks very similar to an XPA-1 gen 2 all the way down to the high bias class A - an excellent amp. summithifiusa.com/collections/tonewinner/products/ad-1-pa-hi-fi-amplifierTonewinner and Emotiva have a very close relationship in terms of amps - not sure what but I think they share similar DNA and manufacturer or at least they did |
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Post by audiosyndrome on Feb 7, 2023 16:00:44 GMT -5
93 pounds. And a space heater! 👎👎
Russ
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Post by pedrocols on Feb 7, 2023 21:44:32 GMT -5
Back from the death.
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