In The House: The Rogue Audio Stereo 100 (KT120) Power Amp.

[Andre Marc]

Hey, what happened to hooking up the tubes to the LS50s?

In due time. Right now they sound fantastic with 200 watts of McIntosh SS power. A SIM Moon integrated on the way too.

 

[mep]

In due time. Right now they sound fantastic with 200 watts of McIntosh SS power. A SIM Moon integrated on the way too.

I know the LS50s sound fantastic with SS power amps, or at least my SS power amp. Peter thinks they won't work with a 100 watt tube amp and I don't know why. They can't be that inefficient, but maybe they need the current drive that SS provides.

 

[Andre Marc]

I know the LS50s sound fantastic with SS power amps, or at least my SS power amp. Peter thinks they won't work with a 100 watt tube amp and I don't know why. They can't be that inefficient, but maybe they need the current drive that SS provides.

I respectfully disagree with Peter. I am sure they will work with tubes, and definitely with 100 watts of tubage.

 

[DaveyF]

I respectfully disagree with Peter. I am sure they will work with tubes, and definitely with 100 watts of tubage.

I would be VERY surprised IF the LS50's did NOT work VERY well with 100 watts of tube power. IMHO, 100 watts of tube power is more powerful sounding than 100 watts of ss power. Many of us know the reason why..

 

[mep]

I would be VERY surprised IF the LS50's did NOT work VERY well with 100 watts of tube power. IMHO, 100 watts of tube power is more powerful sounding than 100 watts of ss power. Many of us know the reason why..

So spill the beans Davey. What is it that makes a 100 watt tube amplifier sound more powerful than a 100 watt SS amp? Does that go for any type of loudspeaker or only certain ones?

 

[zog]

I'm not surprised you like it as I once had an Atlas Magnum - fabulous. I'll be following the thread with interest. The only thing I don't like the layout. I'm not running tubes now but if I was I would want them showing!

 

[DaveyF]

So spill the beans Davey. What is it that makes a 100 watt tube amplifier sound more powerful than a 100 watt SS amp? Does that go for any type of loudspeaker or only certain ones?

Have you heard of something called 'headroom'. ( sure IF the ss amp and the tube amp employ the same transformer's...NOT my experience...perhaps yours? ) A 100 watt ss amp when it clips...well Mep, YMMV.

 

[mep]

Have you heard of something called 'headroom'. ( sure IF the ss amp and the tube amp employ the same transformer's...NOT my experience...perhaps yours? ) A 100 watt ss amp when it clips...well Mep, YMMV.

Just curious as to what your answer would be Davey. Tubes compress the top of the waveform when driven to their power limits so the clipping is 'softer' than when a SS amp clips. That's really the bottom line because at the end of the day, watts are watts. Power (measured in watts)always equals I x E (current x voltage). Tubes give you high voltage watts and SS gives you high current watts.

 

[Johnny Vinyl]

Just curious as to what your answer would be Davey. Tubes compress the top of the waveform when driven to their power limits so the clipping is 'softer' than when a SS amp clips. That's really the bottom line because at the end of the day, watts are watts. Power (measured in watts)always equals I x E (current x voltage). Tubes give you high voltage watts and SS gives you high current watts.

Between the two, which one is cuter, cause that's the one I would want!

 

[mep]

Between the two, which one is cuter, cause that's the one I would want!

What you want is really what your speakers want. I was just curious as to what Davey thought he had up his sleeve as he was acting like only "some of us" had the inside knowledge as to why a 100 watt tube amp would sound louder than a 100 watt SS amp. It's no big secret so I was wondering what the winky-poo emoticon was supposed to mean.