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Maybe you can have your cake and eat it, too...

Posted by ducati (M) on November 21, 2005 at 09:23:22

In Reply to: 55 watts tube vs 600 watts SS...Rules broken posted by T&T on November 19, 2005 at 15:55:54:

I recently moved from a moderately efficient pair of ProAc's (D25) and a moderately powerful 50wpc tube amp (ARC VS55) to a more efficient pair of monitors (DeCapo i) and a slightly more powerful tube amp (Rogue Tempest II, 90wpc UL and 60wpc Triode) and the dynamic compression you mention and I always thought was de riguer with a smaller tube amp is GONE. This rig sounds boundless in it's enthusiasm, it will blow me off my chair in ueber dynamic moments. Yes, I've gained some efficiency (92db vs 88db), and some power, and maybe *just enough* as Goldilocks might say... The dynamic range is just astonishing.

So maybe you can have your cake and eat it, too. Does this mean you need more tube watts? Maybe, although I run this one in Triode, so very close to what my ARC put out. Does this mean you need a more efficient speaker? Probably; I have started gravitating towards more efficient designs, feeling their dynamic prowess is better--to my ears. Relatively inefficient speakers driven by big watts cannot quite replicate the speed and power of more efficient design and less power (to MY ears).

Cool stuff. I am just not impressed with SS anymore. But I'm not quite ready to give up--I'd love to hear the First Watt designs, the Blue Circle stuff, a hot-running Sugden, and some other stuff audiophiles I know and trust tell me are good.

Have fun, sometimes letting the dragon out is an enlightening experience :)

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