RAAL-requisite SR1a Has Landed

[jcbenten]

I think it is time for you to set up brackets, ala March Madness.  Have one side the Tube amps and the other bracket SS...Pick a winner, yes you have to, and then anything new coming in has to knock off the winner.  Really would be tedious to compare to all the fallen...but you would get to listen to Ten Redux a few dozen times so not all bad.

[jcbenten]

15 hours ago, The Computer Audiophile said:

Getting in more amps to review with the SR1a is seriously a blast. 

 

Now I need another tube amp or two to try. Any recommendations?

KRAudio

Manley

Rogue

Nagra

Shindo

 

That is the short list...

[jcbenten]

8 hours ago, TubeLover said:

Nice list. Though, while I greatly respect Rogue for making quality products at reasonable prices in the US, I'm not sure I would be looking to pair that combination.

 

The more powerful Manley's are certainly worth a try. And I would never pass on a chance to try Nagra gear. Shindo is absolutely wonderful stuff but I wasn't aware they produced anything remotely powerful enough for the RAAL's? 

 

JC

 

 

I do not know about the Shindo.  It is a brand I put in the same space as Audio Note Japan even though I do not know all the aspects of tubes or the brands.  I do not recall seeing the name mentioned on this website so when Chris asked for ideas I listed ones I would be interested in reading  his observations.

[jcbenten]

7 hours ago, TubeLover said:

No worries, Shindo is simply superb stuff, they have simply never made anything that could even begin to power the RAAL's. 

 

JC

Bummer...20 wpc was the biggest I saw on the website.

 

Well there are always these but Chris will need the piano movers: https://www.vtl.com/products/power-amplifiers/monoblock-amplifiers/siegfried-series-ii-reference-monoblock/

 

I remember back when I was searching for a system, 20+ years ago, that there used to be a tube company that had tube amps that covered the floor...literally...huge setups.  I think they were French...Joule-Electra(?) but JE is no longer around.  But I may be mis-remembering the name.

[jcbenten]

1 hour ago, The Computer Audiophile said:

I've been connecting several DACs and preamps and even amps to the RAALs today and have notices that many of them put out a ton of noise! Listen to a Reference Recordings track with fine details at very low levels and you'll heat what a component can do. It's like putting your ear up to your tweeter. Of course you can hear strange things sometimes, but who listens with an ear to a tweeter? We do now :~)

Be interesting to have those devices measured (or at least look at the specs).  Perhaps the RAALs are resolute enough to hear low-level noise/distortion.  Perhaps. 

 

Potential(?): 1) Incompatibility between the devices?  2) Are you training your ears to be ..ummmm..."Golden" :-) ....  Or at least sensitive?

[jcbenten]

2 hours ago, The Computer Audiophile said:

One device that was pretty noisy was from Benchmark, the company who is the darling of the objectivists. 

Now that is funny...