Do parallel SET amps (PSET) lose any sweetness from the added power of extra tubes?

How about Ayon Crossfire?

http://www.ayonaudiousa.com/us/products/amplifier/52b62b-series/crossfire-iii-crossfire-pa.html


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Gorgeous amp and well received but probably overkill for the Omega's where the popular choices seem to be Decware and Inspire. Since this is at this point a test of the waters I would make the first stab less painful to unload if you decide it is not for you. If you love it then you can climb the ladder.
 
Joe, I previously sold my Melody AN845 SET integrated and regretted doing so. I just picked up a fully restored Bel Canto SET 40 power amp. I didn't realize that Bel Canto had dabbled in tube amps in its earlier days. It uses a pair of 845's and four 12AX7's. It's a sweet sounding amp (that magical triode SET sound) and I love that it cranks out 37wpc, nearly double the power of most 845 SET's. It weighs in at 85 pounds. Huge transformers.

Here are the specs:

Continuous power output into 4 or 8 ohms • 37 wattsPeak power output • >70 wattsBandwidth•-3dB 6Hz-35kHz
Class of operation • Class A single-ended 845 triode
Input level for 37 watts output • 1.5 V rms
Signal to Noise Ratio re 1 watt out • 96 dB A weightedDistortion at 1 watt / 1 kHz • <0.1% predominantly 2nd harmonicDamping Factor • 3 across full bandwidth
Input configuration and impedance • 100K ohm single ended RCAGain at 8 ohm tap • 21 dB
 
Jack, you are correct. It was a great amp. I still have the Melody AN300b integrated which is also a great amp, especially since I upgraded the power tubes to Sophia Royal Princess's.

I just got the Bel Canto a few weeks ago and have been traveling out of the country the last few weeks and haven't gotten a chance to critically listen yet. So far It has driven Trenner & Friedl Art's and Evolution Acoustic MMicro One's and both sound superb. This amp will drive most speakers. Highly recommended. If anyone is interested in a source for a restored factory-authorized Bel Canto SET 40 or the SET 80 monoblocks (nothing in it for me) PM me.
 
RDSChicago said:
Jack, you are correct. It was a great amp. I still have the Melody AN300b integrated which is also a great amp, especially since I upgraded the power tubes to Sophia Royal Princess's.

I just got the Bel Canto a few weeks ago and have been traveling out of the country the last few weeks and haven't gotten a chance to critically listen yet. So far It has driven Trenner & Friedl Art's and Evolution Acoustic MMicro One's and both sound superb. This amp will drive most speakers. Highly recommended. If anyone is interested in a source for a restored factory-authorized Bel Canto SET 40 or the SET 80 monoblocks (nothing in it for me) PM me.
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Those Bel Canto's are really nice.
 
Here's one a lot of people don't realize is out there --- Manley Neo-Classic SE/PP 300B

http://www.manley.com/products/view/nsepp

Let's you run the amp in SE mode for 11 watts or PP mode for 24 watts. It's surprisingly good...... I have customer running these with a pair of 0/96 speakers and he likes the combo quite a bit (and he used to run Joseph Perspectives with them as well).
 
Knowing your tastes, a Viva Solistino on the right speakers might work despite being integrated. for separates, Audion is usually my recommendation although Sophia Electric has an older set of 845 monos for sale that sound excellent for not much $.

I prefer 845s which are easy to get and roll. the Ayon, KR, etc use tubes from 1 source which always is a risk to me.
 
The more I look, the more I get sidetracked. That's not necessarily bad, but it just makes it harder to focus. I don't want to spend a lot and trying before I buy is near impossible.
 
joeinid said:
The more I look, the more I get sidetracked. That's not necessarily bad, but it just makes it harder to focus. I don't want to spend a lot and trying before I buy is near impossible.
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Joe, just curious as to what did you decide ? I see you already have a TRX-M845 and also a PSET design - is that not sufficient to give the tube magic or are you missing something from it ?
 
It might be a while before I actually buy anything else for now other than speakers. My first goal/desire is to get a reasonable speaker that will be comfortable with a handful of watts. I still have my ASL wave monos that were tweaked a little and a pair of Cary 300B SE that were upgraded by Cary themselves. I need to put them back in service. I am considering a pair of Omega Alnico speakers to be feed by my low watt amps. That will get me started for not crazy money. I'll be able to decide from there what I want to do speaker or amp wise.

I have to admit that my ASL amps on my Cornwalls was a fun combo. I'd love a speaker that is a little more refined than the Cornwalls with a smoother treble. Maybe some Avant-garde speakers or Volti Rivals could be an answer.

There are are other options but I don't want to go crazy. I still think the Tektrons could be fun amps too, with the option to run different tubes.


Devg said:
Joe, just curious as to what did you decide ? I see you already have a TRX-M845 and also a PSET design - is that not sufficient to give the tube magic or are you missing something from it ?
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KeithR said:
Me too!
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I had a pair of Omega floor standers and monitors, both with the hemp drivers. They were very nice for the price.

A nice compromise price-wise could be the Reference 3A's. They are easily driven with tube amps and have the added refinement you're looking for. BTW, your 845's, with their large transformers, could easily drive speakers with sensitivity in the high 80db's.
 
Hmmm. I have not looked at Reference 3A's in a long time. I'll take a look.

I've been thinking about the perfect speaker for the Triodes. I see that they are paired with Spendor and a few others at shows. I do wonder how that combo would sound. If my Triodes don't sell, I may rethink things.


RDSChicago said:
I had a pair of Omega floor standers and monitors, both with the hemp drivers. They were very nice for the price.

A nice compromise price-wise could be the Reference 3A's. They are easily driven with tube amps and have the added refinement you're looking for. BTW, your 845's, with their large transformers, could easily drive speakers with sensitivity in the high 80db's.
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