Tapehead47 said:
...Carl. Back up and 'splain it to me in English. All that jargon goes right over my head! I'm pretty ignorant about tube equipment. I'm venturing out into unknown territory without a map.
I'll need to find out what possibilities there are out there, and then set a target. There's probably millions of options. I need to pick 3 or 4 of them that are achieveable. I'm giving myself about an 8-month time frame (like about Christmas-time) to figure out what I want/need.
Thanks for your enthuiastic input! I'm real excited about my new Klipshes!
Rick
You are welcome. Ok, I'll put it in English. Klipsch are very efficient speakers. As a result, they don't require many watts to get them loud, and some people enjoy listening to them with lower powered tube amps known as SET (single ended triode)that are usually 1.5 to 8 watt amps. I have heard a few SET amps and enjoyed them - especially in the midrange, but I suspect that your tastes in music/stereo volume-wise are probably similar to mine (quite a bit louder at times) - and the SET amps tend to run out of stream at higher volumes (to my ears - opinions differ).
I prefer push-pull tube amps, and these are amps are generally rated at 30 to 60 watts per channel. Push-pull tube amps tend to have more "balls" than SET amps - and to my ears, do bass tougher and tighter. Plus, headroom (or volume to spare) is nice when you like to crank - at times.
I've run a number of nice push-pull tube amps over the years. Recently, I sold my beloved 1966 Marantz 8B (one of all-time classics - 35 watts per channel) in order to buy a pair of NOSValves VRD, two 60 watt per channel push-pull monoblocs that are my final stop, amp-wise for my Klipschorns. They are smooth as silk all the way up to the insame levels - yet the bass kicks you in the gut. Then again, they typically run about $2700 or so new, and I'm not sure how much you contemplating putting into this. (I shudder when I look at my two racks). I've seen VRDs go used for quite a bit less than that - usually on the Klipsch forum. The "mark IIIs" I referenced are vintage Dynaco Mark IIIs, which are also 60 watt per channel monoblocs - and can be had for under a grand or so.....
Here's what I would do if I were you. I prefer tube separates. To my ears (and some others), the tube pre has a bigger overall effect on the quality of the sound as opposed to the tube amp. So.....start by buying the best tube preamp you can buy. I really love Juicy Music tube preamps (as do many Klipsch fans on the Klipsch forum), and a JM tube Merlin pre can be had new for about $895 new.
http://www.juicymusicaudio.com/webpages/preamplifiers.html JuicyMusic preamps are notoriously cleaner sounding but still smooth and detailed. There are other tube preamp suggestions as well. Some other tube preamps are darker sounding than others, and a tube preamp likes and dislikes are subjective - like much of audio. My best advice is to listen to some units so that you get a taste for the sound.
I would then pair the Merlin (or something similar) with a starter tube amp such as a rebuilt Dynaco Stereo 70 - which can be had nicely for under $500. If you decide to go this route, let me know. I have a Stereo 70 that was rebuilt only about 4 years ago. I'm keeping it as a spare amp but I might be willing to part with it. There are some other options out there other than the 70 for starter tube amps, but it is a good option - and a classic. Check out the tube amp thread over in two-channel over at the other place - and the thread poster started with a 70.
Alternatively, you could always start with a tube integrated tube amp (usually 25 to 35 watts per channel) and a nice rebuilt unit will put you back somewhere about 500-700 bucks, but that also gets your tube preamp and amp in one unit - for a more economical package. Craig, who frequents in here and owns NOSValves, frequently rebuilds tube amps (
www.nosvalves.com), and he sometimes has nice integrated for sale that he has rebuilt.
Of course, the above are just thoughts, and depending on what you wanted to spend, I would never discourage you from spending more to go up the ladder. But, it might make sense to get your feet wet first or hear some tube setups so you can judge for yourself. You are always welcome to hear my stuff anytime you are near St. Louis.
If it were me, I would start by adding a tube preamp to your solid state amp. You will hear the biggest difference first that way. Then, by all means, I encourage you to add a tube amp to the mix at some point.
BTW, you'll love your Fortes. One of the most balanced and underrated Klipsch speakers ever.
I've found my musical nirvana. Here's to others finding theirs.
