|
Post by brubacca on Dec 11, 2016 19:05:25 GMT -5
So I hear that in the Prima Luna amps that the kt120 tubes are a good mix of the el34 and kt88. I read this on upscale audio reviews of the kt120 tubes.
|
|
|
Post by audiobill on Dec 11, 2016 19:25:16 GMT -5
Kt120s are also more expensive.
|
|
|
Post by brubacca on Dec 11, 2016 19:50:22 GMT -5
Kt120s are also more expensive. About $50 each
|
|
|
Post by milsap195 on Dec 11, 2016 19:59:18 GMT -5
In my amps I started with the 88's and went to the kt-150s, never looked back.
|
|
|
Post by audiobill on Dec 11, 2016 20:03:00 GMT -5
Be careful with KT150s, your amp may not bias in their range.
|
|
|
Post by milsap195 on Dec 11, 2016 20:51:06 GMT -5
Be careful with KT150s, your amp may not bias in their range. I sent them to Bob and he modified them to run the new tube.
|
|
|
Post by tweed on Dec 11, 2016 21:50:29 GMT -5
Great to hear your thoughts on what sounds like your new tube amp Mark.
Bill built mine and I have not looked back since.
There's something in the glow 😎
|
|
klinemj
Emo VIPs
Honorary Emofest Scribe
Posts: 14,690
|
Post by klinemj on Dec 12, 2016 7:27:06 GMT -5
So I hear that in the Prima Luna amps that the kt120 tubes are a good mix of the el34 and kt88. I read this on upscale audio reviews of the kt120 tubes. One thing I read was that you can actually use an el34 and a kt88 per channel with my amp, instead of mathcing them. The autobias sorts it out from there. I can't recall if I read this in the manual or on the net somewhere. I need to recheck the manual. If it did indeed say that, I may try it! Mark
|
|
klinemj
Emo VIPs
Honorary Emofest Scribe
Posts: 14,690
|
Post by klinemj on Dec 12, 2016 7:31:54 GMT -5
In my amps I started with the 88's and went to the kt-150s, never looked back. The Prima Luna can also run KT-150's. Some day, I may try those...the autobias feature is configured to "optimize" the bias on KT88's and EL34's, but various other tubes are fine also. Mark
|
|
|
Post by audiobill on Dec 12, 2016 7:32:03 GMT -5
I wouldn't do that; this is a push-pull amp that relies on close tube matching to minimize crossover distortion.
But I've been wrong before, once......
|
|
|
Post by brubacca on Dec 12, 2016 7:50:31 GMT -5
So I hear that in the Prima Luna amps that the kt120 tubes are a good mix of the el34 and kt88. I read this on upscale audio reviews of the kt120 tubes. One thing I read was that you can actually use an el34 and a kt88 per channel with my amp, instead of mathcing them. The autobias sorts it out from there. I can't recall if I read this in the manual or on the net somewhere. I need to recheck the manual. If it did indeed say that, I may try it! Mark I know that they have shown this to show that the amp does not blow up, but I don't believe that this is a recommended actual running configuration. In fact, I believe that it was an advertisement and in the small print it said not to run this way.
|
|
|
Post by brubacca on Dec 12, 2016 7:51:22 GMT -5
In my amps I started with the 88's and went to the kt-150s, never looked back. The Prima Luna can also run KT-150's. Some day, I may try those...the autobias feature is configured to "optimize" the bias on KT88's and EL34's, but various other tubes are fine also. Mark At $100 each kt150 are a big step up in price.
|
|
|
Post by pedrocols on Dec 12, 2016 9:40:29 GMT -5
Just get the KT120s and be over with....I have tried the KT88 and to my ears the KT120 match better with the maggies which are a very revealing speakers...YMMV
|
|
|
Post by garbulky on Dec 12, 2016 10:07:44 GMT -5
I got to say I'm surprised! You choose the Prima over the Ncores? Those must be some pretty snazzy tube amps!
|
|
|
Post by monkumonku on Dec 12, 2016 10:26:10 GMT -5
Wait until the next thread where people argue against tubes saying they don't measure well or you are listening to distortion. You will most likely have the same reaction I do. "Yes, yes I am and I am loving it" Some listen with their ears, others by their eyes looking at specs and graphs....... And some listen with other people's ears.
|
|
KeithL
Administrator
Posts: 9,902
|
Post by KeithL on Dec 12, 2016 10:30:36 GMT -5
In general, while there are all sorts of "tube simulations", none of them I've ever heard so far actually sounds exactly like actual tubes. The closest ones are various plugins for editing software - but they need to be run on a digital editing workstation. The next closest thing would be to use a tube preamp or tube buffer - which will get you the sound of preamp tubes. Likewise, hybrid amps, which actually have tubes in them, have preamp tubes, but not OUTPUT tubes or transformers. (So they sound like what they are; a tube preamp driving a solid state power amp.) But that's still not going to get you the coloration introduced by output transformers and output tubes.... which is the sound of a tube POWER AMP. If you are looking for a tube buffer to add "tube-i-ness", the most effective thing I've heard in that department is a Schiit Lyr (it has outputs for using it as a preamp).
|
|
KeithL
Administrator
Posts: 9,902
|
Post by KeithL on Dec 12, 2016 10:31:32 GMT -5
Very astute observation. Some listen with their ears, others by their eyes looking at specs and graphs....... And some listen with other people's ears.
|
|
klinemj
Emo VIPs
Honorary Emofest Scribe
Posts: 14,690
|
Post by klinemj on Dec 12, 2016 18:07:06 GMT -5
One thing I read was that you can actually use an el34 and a kt88 per channel with my amp, instead of mathcing them. The autobias sorts it out from there. I can't recall if I read this in the manual or on the net somewhere. I need to recheck the manual. If it did indeed say that, I may try it! Mark I know that they have shown this to show that the amp does not blow up, but I don't believe that this is a recommended actual running configuration. In fact, I believe that it was an advertisement and in the small print it said not to run this way. I went back and confirmed it is in the manual...not as a recommended way but as a "and some people even do this..." way. Net, not a rousing endorsement. Mark
|
|
klinemj
Emo VIPs
Honorary Emofest Scribe
Posts: 14,690
|
Post by klinemj on Dec 12, 2016 18:08:27 GMT -5
I got to say I'm surprised! You choose the Prima over the Ncores? Those must be some pretty snazzy tube amps! I plan to keep the nCores for HT use and wire them up so I can listen to either. I will share how later. Madk
|
|
|
Post by vcautokid on Dec 12, 2016 18:16:48 GMT -5
Simulation? Stop wasting your time, and money. You want the real thing? Go buy the real thing. Tubes, Whiskey, and so on. Imitation is just an almost kind of sort of nonsense. Done.
|
|