[elmalloc]

Hi,


I use my system for 60/40 HT/Music, in a 19x17x17 vaulted room.


I have a pair of Acoustic Zen Adagios that I recently purchased used (with new ribbon tweeters installed). They are slightly harsh sounding in the upper end with my Emotiva LPA1 (solid state 125W) amp. I'm running music 24/7 to try and burn in the ribbon tweeter (if that's even possible).


I believe the Adagios want a tube amp to smoothen out.


I have never tried tube amps for home theater. I previously owned the Onix H34 and Onix SP3 tubes. The H34 was awesome for music (EL34 tubes).


Can someone suggest some tube amps (or integrateds?) for my front 3 channels? I will use that for HT, but the front LR will be used for music also.


Maximum Budget is only $1500. I've seen some nice 2 channel amps around there, but what would I do with the center (adagio jr) then? The amps pretty much need to match up for HT - right? I also read Joilda may have a "3 channel" tube integrated amp, but don't know much about it.


Thanks,

ELmO

 

[tmlontario]

ELmO,


Have you looked into the Antique Sound Lab ASL Wave 25 monoblocks as a potential solution for your front channels. You can pick up three of these for around $1100 new. (I would post the link, but since I am a new member, they don't allow me to at this time)


I am actually considering adding one of these for my center channel to add to a Primaluna 2-channel tube power amp that is driving my L/R mains.

 

[MichaelJHuman]

Too bad you can't find a tube emulator of some sort. Seems expensive otherwise.


Sometimes harshness can be due to room accoustics as well.

 

[wwinkler]

For more than 45 years, there has been a debate whether high-end tube amplifiers were better than the transistor. Bob Carver had a tuneable transistor power amplifier that had very high power, low distortion, and exceedingly flat response (as verified by formal test equipment). By tuning his transistor amplifier, Carver was able to get it to 'duplicate' the 'sound' of high-end Macintosh tube amps and amps from other companies. These high-end amplifiers were supposedly more 'mellow' and 'musical' in the unscientific, golden-ear types of test that many audiophiles were using. In double-blind testing, individuals could not distinguish whether good speakers were driven by the Carver amp or some other amplification.


Carver's tuning induced imperfections in the response of his amplifier. Carter later did a similar feat when he had a tunable DVD player where he was able to duplicate (in terms of double-blind testing) the 'warmth' of high-end phonograph equipment (that individuals had again been claimed sounding superior to certain individual's golden-ears).


As the previous poster indicated, you can have room anomalies that affect speaker response.

 

[RDZeke]

I was going to suggest http://www.butleraudio.com/ , but they are a little over your budget.

They are excellent amps.

I use one of their mobile amps in my car.