tube amp for 4430

[loud mouth]

Sorry if this has been talked about before did search and couldn't find any threads
Im using a carver tfm 45 now and want to try a tube amp any suggestions thanks dan

[grumpy]

Full-range? An AR VT-100mkII is my only tube-amp experience with 4430's.
It's what I'm running now. Bass is slightly "better" with a similarly powered and
quality S/S amp.

[oznob]

I currently use a mildly updated Scott 299B integrated, maybe 20 watts a side. It drives the 4430's very well, especially the mid-range. I have them in a smaller room, in the corners, 7' apart. For larger rooms, you may want to consider a quality 6550/KT88 based amp. It will likely give you better control of the woofers as well. I am just partial to the "sweet" sound of vintage EL84/7189 based amps.

[toobwacky]

I'm using one of these to drive my L90s:


It's an Onix SP3 and I love it!

38wpc 5881 / 6L6 and they can be had on the used market for $500 and under.

[jcrobso]

I'm using one of these to drive my L90s:


It's an Onix SP3 and I love it!

38wpc 5881 / 6L6 and they can be had on the used market for $500 and under.

When I was in school I made a tube amp for a class project. It clipped at 65wp running Class AB. The distortion was less than 1%, how much less I never knew since the distortion analyzer was only rated to 1%. I did a get an A on the project. But I could not keep that amp since a guitar player friend payed for all the parts. So when I finished it he got it after I added a guitar amp front end.
From time to time I think about building another one but the cost of the transformers is very high.
P.S. I did some reading and it is a class AB amp.

[loud mouth]

After last friday im going to a tube amp
i have a pool table and the 4430's out in my garage my buddys show up every friday we all love good music and playing pool and of course beer
after a few too many the volume gets turnd up sometimes im guilty of it but someone always does it
I browed a amp from my local high end shop[
It was built by coda class a/b it sounded so good down low same as the carver at high levels (all the nebhors im sure dont like it)
Thats what got me thinking about a tube amp maby we wont try to lift the rafters with it

[spkrman57]

I found the 4430's needed much more than my tube amps could provide.

I also feel that the magic of tubes worked best when used with higher efficiency speakers. At least 95db/watt or better.

Just my 2 cents worth of course.......

Regards, Ron

[jblnut]

That's what led me to my current bi-amp solution. You need some big transistor power to control the larger JBL woofers, while the transparency and resolution of the high end seems to like the slightly softer sound of tubes.

I'm not sure if the 4430 is bi-amp capable like some of the other speakers of its time period (the XPLs come to mind), but if it is that's the way to go.

jblnut

I found the 4430's needed much more than my tube amps could provide.

I also feel that the magic of tubes worked best when used with higher efficiency speakers. At least 95db/watt or better.

Just my 2 cents worth of course.......

Regards, Ron

[loud mouth]

Thank you all for your advice.
I was almost ready to get the Bel Cantos 1000's when a McIntosh MC 2500 came up for sale.
I got the mac and I'm very happy with it.
I guess I'm hooked on all this stuff and i can see myself getting something different down the road.