Looking for tube based system on a budget

[sivasarjun]

Looking for my first stereosetup.Currently using an old denon and a cheapspeakerpair.
Musical tastes.Mainly classical ,karnatic,hindusthani and western.Love vocals.Developing a taste for jazz.Not interested in rock.So bass is not a priority.Midrange should be great.

Read a lot about tube amplifiers and thinking of going that way.



Budget- There lies the catch.Would like to keep that as low as possible.
Ready to spend 30k this year(although it is astretch) and another 30 next year.

Help will be appreciated.By the way this is agreat forum.

Cheers

 

[vinod_david]

Hi:

Lovely, you just can't go wrong with Lyrita.

 

[marsilians]

Some western and Hindustani require a fair bit of bass support. So, subwoofers may become a requirement.

Looking for my first stereosetup.Currently using an old denon and a cheapspeakerpair.
Musical tastes.Mainly classical ,karnatic,hindusthani and western.Love vocals.Developing a taste for jazz.Not interested in rock.So bass is not a priority.Midrange should be great.

Read a lot about tube amplifiers and thinking of going that way.



Budget- There lies the catch.Would like to keep that as low as possible.
Ready to spend 30k this year(although it is astretch) and another 30 next year.

Help will be appreciated.By the way this is agreat forum.

Cheers

 

[sivasarjun]

Yes,I had emailed Mr Viren Bakhshi and he suggested integre 2 with anwharfedale/mordant short or tannoy bookshelf.Can anybody suggest specific models and compatibilities.
Another concern is that after buying will I be satisfied or want to upgrade to a single driver(Has read that this is the way to go) .If that happens Will the amp too need upgrading to 2A3 set?
Thanks guys for the replies.

 

[SSS]

Hi:

Lovely, you just can't go wrong with Lyrita.

+1

Lyrita is just awesome! Unbeatable value for money!

Go for their full setup - Amp + Speakers, and I doubt if you will feel the need of any subwoofers.

Happy Listening!

 

[stevieboy]

Yes,I had emailed Mr Viren Bakhshi and he suggested integre 2 with anwharfedale/mordant short or tannoy bookshelf.Can anybody suggest specific models and compatibilities.
Another concern is that after buying will I be satisfied or want to upgrade to a single driver(Has read that this is the way to go) .If that happens Will the amp too need upgrading to 2A3 set?
Thanks guys for the replies.

Hi Sivaarjun,

Welcome,

I've quite forgotten which the integre 2 is. Is it the el84 SET amp? Well you don't technically 'need' to move to a single driver speaker, though a SET amp would sound best with a single driver. Among the speakers mentioned I'd avoid wharfedale cos they've got woven cones and would take a fair bit of power to drive them. The other aspect is that precious musical watts would be wasted trying to move the cone before the music begins. And mean precious both in terms of power but more importantly important musical cues that are there in those first few watts. The tannoy F1 mercury customs (I think that's the model name) or the mordaunt short ms 901i bookshelves will be good partners. If you're looking for speakers stick to bookshelves. Good qualities to have would be a highish sensitivity 89db and higher and a simple crossover, a woven cone is a no-no. I think even epos bookshelves would be good.

You could always check the single drivers out if you want later on cos viren does a 'ship it to you listen and return policy'. He'd also do a trade in for your el84 amp if you want to move up to the 2A3 amp. Yes the 2A3 amp would sound better than the el84 SET amp. I had the el84 push pull amp with the single drivers till I could afford the SET amp.

If you like I can give you the email address of someone with similar tastes as you 'hindustani' music who had come over to my place and bought the SET amp and single driver speakers. He had done the rounds of various manufacturers and like viren's set up. He could give you a clearer picture for your musical tastes.

Regards

 

[sivasarjun]

Thank you stevie boy,
INTEGRE 2 is pushpull10watts.Viren recommended it because it is more powerful than the el84SET I presume.
Where can I look for the speakers .I live in Kerala so auditioning is not easy.
Would love to know the views of someone with similar tastes.Please PM me your friends email.Thanks again.


SSS,Budget constraints.

Regards:

 

[stevieboy]

Hi Sivasarjun,

There are people in Chennai who'd be happy to host you if can travel. I'd highly recommend that. Thevortex on this forum has the 2A3 SET amp and the single driver speakers.

Sending you a PM with the person's email id.

regards

edit: I mentioned the above not for buying the 2A3 amp but for taking your el84 amp if you choose to buy it, to see how it sounds with a single driver speaker should you want to check it out.

 

[iaudio]

Sivasarjun, Where in Kerala are you located?

Lyrita would be an excellent choice for your needs. You have to work out a purchase path according to your budget though. What I feel is you should go the Harmony one speakers, drive them with a Topping amp(imho, they sound great together!) and get the Lyrita
SET amp when you can spare the cash.

 

[CLEARCUT]

Tube system which s carefully designed and built up with good components with no compromising in quality will superbly entertain you much. As if you are in a studio or the singers are singing in front of u. With matching high end cables, int and high end speakers will make you to adore the tube gear. If there is any let up in this chain it will give more distortion which cant be tolerated. In small ss systems are easy matching and sweet sounding with average built up itself. How ever highend ss cannot come near a good tube system with high matching. Wattage is not a problem in tube even 30 watt el 34 amp will outbeat 120 watt ss amplifier with its live performance. For fast and rock songs and musics ss is highly reliable and melodious instrumental classical and other songs tube is the one way. I FEEL THE FRENCH SPEAKERS ARE HIGHLY MATCHING WITH TUBE AMPLIFIERS. PL CLARIFY ANY WITH SAME EXPERIENCE.

 

[CLEARCUT]

S i am also from kerala there s one single man from ,muvattupuzha is building up tube amp, pre power combo, pre power mono block. I had a chance of hearing it and owning it for some time. It is not flatter to say amazing quality with highend components. I think the person name is mr. Mathews. I had no chance of meeting him. I had come across one or two tube gears. Like cayin k at88, jolida. THIS PRODUCT OUT BEAT MY ABOVE TWO GEARS. I LOVED IT. I come to know that nowadays that he is building it for rhytm which is internationaly acclaimed speaker company from kerala. Very less distortion musical solid state equal punch good sound stage three dimensional sonic every word is suitable to glorify this product. I dont know why this product is coming out and popularise among the audiophiles. I am proud to say an amplifier from kerala india can outbeat or challange a high end amplifier from anywhere. Keralities you can raise your collars. Because there is no hiss or hum between a music there was utter silent. Only music was oozing from it. I had to part with it. Bec keralities love their friendship. I gave away to my beloved friend who wanted to have nice setup in his life time

 

[iaudio]

Clearcut, I have been really wanting to listen to one of those from the time you told me about it. Hope I get the chance.

Which french speakers are you referring to?

 

[keith_correa]

Very less distortion musical solid state equal punch good sound stage three dimensional sonic every word is suitable to glorify this product.

I do not understand. You say that this is "solid state" - so why are you recommending/mentioning this piece of equipment when the requirement is for a "tube based system".

I dont know why this product is coming out and popularise among the audiophiles.

What do you mean? Coming out of where?

Keralities you can raise your collars. Because there is no hiss or hum between a music there was utter silent. Only music was oozing from it.

Delhiites - I hope your collars are "raised" already. Because of Viren's amps. But only if music oozes out of it. And only if there is no hiss/hum between music. hyeah: Me, because of this piece of equipment, even though I'm not a Keralite my collar is "raised" because an Indian has done it. I'm entitled.

Bec keralities love their friendship.

And non Keralites like me do not love our friendship but we love our friends instead. :lol:

 

[marsilians]

For fast and rock songs and musics ss is highly reliable and melodious instrumental classical and other songs tube is the one way. I FEEL THE FRENCH SPEAKERS ARE HIGHLY MATCHING WITH TUBE AMPLIFIERS. PL CLARIFY ANY WITH SAME EXPERIENCE.

Without generalising, French speakers are slightly bright (Focal, JM Reynaud, ...) and hence match well with tubes, which tend to mellow the sound in most cases.

 

[CLEARCUT]

Very less distortion musical solid state equal punch good sound stage three dimensional sonic every word is suitable to glorify this product.

IT SHOULD BE READ LIKE THIS

Very less distortion, musical, solid state equal punch (bass), good sound stage, three dimensional, sonic, every word is suitable to glorify this product
.
I dont know why this product is coming out and popularise among the audiophiles.

IT SHOULD BE READ LIKE THIS.

I don't know why this product is coming out but not getting popularised among the audiophiles in India.

I have already talked to Viren such a sweet personality. Even though it was through phone I was moved by his conversation. But have not come across his product. I have already written to him to pay for his trial version.

Here there is no question of kerala or delhi We staunchly believe Indian.
So we feel proud this tube gear is better than the highend tube gears (up to my level) from outside country I have heard and owned.

Correa I am sorry I was shattered by your comments. Once again We are Indian rather than keralites. We know our mother tongue better than any other foreign lanuguage. So there may be fault and also it is easy to find fault out in it. Keralities used to call others chotheren means all Indians are our brothers and sisters.

 

[arj]

...I FEEL THE FRENCH SPEAKERS ARE HIGHLY MATCHING WITH TUBE AMPLIFIERS. PL CLARIFY ANY WITH SAME EXPERIENCE.

Having lived in paris for some time, in my experience Althought typically most french speakers are very sensitive with not so tough loads, these days the more well known french speakers like JM Labs and Triangle are more "American" in their voicing..(i believe JMR is somewhere in between) .

Recently I heard one model each from the Apertura , PE Leon speakers and another one (I think called Davies) in paris With Luxman electronics - very good midrange, fine and delicate treble but the bass of all three did not have the weight that one would like..its light Bass ". Although from a musical experience perspective they were all very good..I believe the traditional french speakers excel in that department ie communication of musicality and maybe thats why they excel with tubes

 

[arj]

Without generalising, French speakers are slightly bright (Focal, JM Reynaud, ...) and hence match well with tubes, which tend to mellow the sound in most cases.

both are not bright..they have a pretty sweet treble (JMR is slightly rolled off ) and Bass is low on SPL (Light) but still articulate.

Triangle is the one which is slightly hotter on the treble.

 

[prem]

I own this amp which Clearcut is talking about. It is designed by Mr Mathews for Rethm. What i have is a SET integrated with a separate power supply. It mates fabulously with the Rethm speakers. It definitely is a top class amp. No questions about that. I used to own Dehaviiland Aries 845 monoblocs and a Dehavilland Mercury pre before that.

 

[CLEARCUT]

When the speakers communicate the music and the voice of the singers with out distortion we are amazed. Bec we feel the singers in front of us and the instruments are being played in front of us. In the bass section it is less loose. But my jm lab tantum is being 4 feet tall, sowith its enclosure it covers the whole area with its bass.BUT With less thumping bass. Careful matching inter connects and speaker cable and alsosource is essential .Other wise it would be too forward. My jm lab was too harsh with cayin at 88 tube amp.

 

[keith_correa]

Here there is no question of kerala or delhi We staunchly believe Indian.
So we feel proud this tube gear is better than the highend tube gears (up to my level) from outside country I have heard and owned.

Correa I am sorry I was shattered by your comments. Once again We are Indian rather than keralites. We know our mother tongue better than any other foreign lanuguage. So there may be fault and also it is easy to find fault out in it. Keralities used to call others chotheren means all Indians are our brothers and sisters.

The name is Keith and thanks for your clarifications on what you meant. My hackles rise when I encounter parochialism in any form which is what I interpreted from your post about Keralites raising collars and amps from Kerala etc. and hence my sarcasm. In hindsight I'm sorry I was sarcastic and maybe cutting. There is no need to be shattered. In the future, I shall count till ten till I post. hyeah: Peace brother!