Amps that sound good at low volumes...

Discussion in 'Hi-Fi and General Audio' started by julian2002, Mar 31, 2005.

  1. julian2002

    SteveC PrimaLuna is not cheese

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    I dragged up this old thread because I didn't find much talk about the Vincent SP-T100 monoblocs elsewhere on the forum. I wondered if you chose these in the end, Julian, or in any case what you finally thought about them. I have a chance for a used pair where I live, and, due to the success with valves in my sig line I'm thinking of ditching active Linn amps in my cine system to try these driving Linn Akurate 242s. Since they are a moderate to difficult load, many valve amps don't really fit the bill, but these might. Thanks.
     
    SteveC, Feb 13, 2007
    #61
  2. julian2002

    julian2002 Muper Soderator

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    hi steve,
    yeah i went with the sp-t100's in the end - it just pushed all the right buttons and gained a respectable soundstage after a lot of running in. they work really well with just about any kind of music i play on them and drive my speakers (ipl transmission lines 90db/w/m) to silly levels without any stress.
    i'm not sure what they'll do with the linns but having had the lid off mine and seen the size of the psu in there (it's a 5kva transformer and some large caps) i suspect they'll be ok - if not you should be able to sell them on no problem given that hi-fi world has just raved about them.
    to be safe i'd see if you can get a home demo of them to try with your speakers if they are a truly awkward load but be prepared to like them a lot if they are anything like mine into my ipls.
     
    julian2002, Feb 13, 2007
    #62
  3. julian2002

    SteveC PrimaLuna is not cheese

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    Great! That sounds very promising. According to Stereophile's impedance curve 242s are not a completely difficult load and are 87 dB/W/m. I also use a Velodyne DD15 sub at the moment from a .1 AV output, so the mains would have a little easier time of it if I continued like that. I was slightly concerned about one of your comments about the treble end though

    I think it'd be worth it for me to try out if only simply to get off the increasingly expensive active-amp treadmill that Linn so easily pulls one onto. I'm waiting for a reply from the seller who is asking NOK 11000 (£900) (NOK 18000 new) which is not so bad considering our VAT at 25% is baked into that price. I did wonder whether the Sheng Ya do an equivalent or whether they up the spec for Vincent.

    I'm still open to other valve or hybrid ideas though. I have looked at a Moscode 401R but that doesn't seem so happy into a difficult load and would cost more ($4995) even if I could find a used one for sale.

    PS: I must try and track down what Hi-fi World said - it wasn't from there I was put onto the scent.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Feb 13, 2007
    SteveC, Feb 13, 2007
    #63
  4. julian2002

    julian2002 Muper Soderator

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    don;t think sheng ya sell the thing any more they just build them for vincent directly. cattylink et al don;t feature them that i could find.
    you've got to take the comment i made about the treble in context it's not bad - just that it wasn;t as good as the 993's which (iirc) could be a bit strident with certain recordings. the spt's are definately more comfortable in the mid and bass but their treble is good - certainly better than the 250 i used to have .
    also i've had a bit of a speaker tweak and hotted up my treble a few months ago which integrated things much better.
    the best compliment i can give them is that i'm not even remotely thinking about changing them - i've just had a goosebump moment listening to them as i type this which just about says it all.

    the hi-fi world article is in the latest issue.
     
    julian2002, Feb 13, 2007
    #64
  5. julian2002

    subhash

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    vincent amps

    hi julian , am from india & this is my first entry into this forum , i have auditioned vincent SP331 power amp , and wud like to go in for the upgaded version the SP331MK or SP993 power amp( have no chance to audition these here) cud u suggest on which amp shud i go for SP331MK/ SP993 ---------my pre is the vincent SA31MK , with marantz SA11S1 sacdp ,and spkrs are the Jamo C809s -------which one wud be a better buy?? thanks subhash
     
    subhash, Jun 19, 2009
    #65
  6. julian2002

    speedy.steve

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    My experience of this is that a TVC (transormer volume control) allows much more of the music through at lower volumes than a volume pot or stepped attenuator. This audibly means better bass and more detail. all to do with impedance matching between pre and power amp (same whether its separate boxes or integrated.
    TVC's have their problems too and the less attenuation you do on the signal the better.
    I was finding with my current 92dB efficient speakers that I could not get things quiet enough on even the 1st click.
    Answer drop the gain of the amp. I did this by bypassing the first stage of the amp - this achieved about a 21dB drop in gain. Result was the vol control is now at 14 - 18 o'clock on the average listening session and the signal is much less mucked about with by the attenuation (also less signal caps and one less set of 6SN7 tubes in the path too has something to do with it too perhaps).

    So most of us have a massive over power capacity in our amps and are strangling the signal with heavy attenuation of the input signal by a carbon pot and thus loosing some nice detail and width of sound.

    Having 15" cones helps with bass at lower volumes too of course.
     
    speedy.steve, Jun 19, 2009
    #66
  7. julian2002

    shrink

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    Must say im always impressed with how my accuphase works at low volumes. But then its not plagued by a standard volume pot. It has some utterly crazy gate switching system, that allows it to have literally tens of thousands of possible values from OFF to ear bleeding!

    It also has a -20db attentuation button, that works purely in the digital domain, and simply corrects the volume control circuitry's final value. So it has absolutely no affect on sound quality whatsoever.

    This means i can have incredibly fine control over the volume at low levels, and full use of the motion of the volume knob, even with 93db efficient speakers.

    That and its class A design make it incredibly dynamic even at barely tickover volumes.

    Quite frankly i find it a cracking bit of kit.
     
    shrink, Jun 19, 2009
    #67
  8. julian2002

    Arg

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    when you say "...sound good at low volumes" do you mean low SPL in the room, or low electrical power output at the amp's terminals?
     
    Arg, Jul 3, 2009
    #68
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