Hi i have heard from many that tube gear is some of the best reproduction of sound, at the moment i have a system that sounds pretty amazing. For some back ground i am using an Oracle turntable with a Technics 100 arm, an Otrofon Bronze Cadenza cart, Altec 19 speakers and switching between a Marantz 2385 and a completely restored Pioneer SX 1980 . My listening room has carpet on the floor, bass traps, acoustic and sound diffuser panels so my sound reproduction is pretty good. If i was to improve on this with a tube amp, what would i be looking for or would there not be a great sound improvement at at all. An y advice is appreciated. thanks
What types of music do you listen to?
How large is the room? How loud do you listen?
I went through a phase where I collected the "monster receivers" (including SX-1980). I sold all of them, except for a Kenwood KR-9050. (BTW, one of my favorite monster receivers was a Marantz 2285B, which I somewhat regret selling.)
For the classical music I love, Klipsch speakers and vintage tube amps are my choice. (I wish I could hear an Altec 19.)
I suggest getting your Scott 222B squared away. Was your 222B electronically restored? What problems is it exhibiting?
IME, a vintage tube amp should sound wonderful, and will sound completely different from your SX-1980. Once you get your 222B functioning correctly, this will give you an idea if you like the sound of tubes.
If you want a "warmer" or "richer" sound than what the 222B delivers, consider a Scott with 7591 output tubes (e.g., Scott 299C), or 6L6GC (Scott 296).
I own quite a few tube amps, and I can try to answer your questions about sound quality, but it's difficult to describe in words. Here's a quick attempt:
- 6L6GC: This is my overall favorite output tube, providing the quintessential tube “warm sound”.
- EL34/6CA7 A good choice for a relatively powerful tube amp that is a bit more neutral than 6L6GC. (Fisher X-1000 is an example of an integrated amp with EL34.)
- 7591: 7591 amps can be nice warm sounding amps.
- 7189: Mellow sounding
- KT88: More bright sounding. More like solid-state sound.
Of course, these are generalizations. The key is synergy with your speakers, and your personal preference based on the music you like.