New amp has arrived...

Mr_Sukebe

Mr_Sukebe

Mr_Sukebe

Man of Honour
Man of Honour
Joined
23 Dec 2002
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Location
London
Odd day yesterday. I started the day thinking about going on a 65 mile bike ride.
During the morning, someone made me a fairly irresistible offer for my existing integrated amp. Whilst my immediate thought was "why should I bother, it's the best sounding solid state amp I've ever heard", the little hi-fi devil was whispering in my ear about thermionics, particularly so having heard a set of Coincident 300Bs and Leak EL34s earlier in the year. Neither had quite the resolution of my Bel Canto Evo2i, but in conjunction with my horn loaded speakers, both sounded effortlessly lovely.

8pm and a very nice chap turns up with an envelope of dosh and takes away the Evo2i. An hour later and I'm on the blower to a chap about a Canary CA-608, which has been languishing unsold for several weeks on a decent hi-fi forum. I get home two hours after that with this monster:
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That is 26kg of integrated valve amp, using a set of 4 EL-34 valves to heat up my lounge. Canary are a very well regarded US audio brand, noted for producing reliable kit (unlike most cheap Chinese valve amps), with a big soundstage in a relaxed manner. I'm told that Kevin Scott (the chap who designs and sells Living Voice speakers) used Canary amps whilst making his spspeakers. I get the impression that my horns have a similar, slightly forward presentation, so I'm hoping for a lovely integrated sound.

Having taken until around midnight to get it in position and wired up, I still haven't had chance to have a good listen, that will be happening later today.
 
That looks like a solid piece of kit !

It's been a while since I've listened to a high-end valve system, the nearest I get these days is popping round to my Dad's to listen through his old Audio Innovations 500.
 
Good upgrade! I'm hoping to build myself an EL34 based valve amp as soon as I move into a new place!

What horns do you have Mr_S?
 
Very nice. I do like the sound of valves.

My friend Steve Jackson makes seriously good valve monoblock power amps and passive pre's. They're out of my price range but just sound sublime.

Thinking of valves, have you heard the David Berning tube amps which use switchmode power supplies? Two technologies that you wouldn't think could co-exist, but somehow he's made it work.
 
Here's an old review of my horn loaded speakers.
http://www.vxm.com/21R.88.html
It's got some fairly rubbish photos within, but gives a good idea of what they look like. Not the prettiest speakers in the world, but great to listen to. Unlike full on horns like the big Tannoys, they're "relatively" small, and seem to have very little cabinet colouration. Efficiency is around 94db/w. Additionally, they don't seem to excite "room nodes" and work well in much smaller rooms than you'd expect. For one thing, they work best when sited against a wall. So overall a great compromise for my wants. They're efficient enough to allow low power valves to thrive. If anything, the Canary is a bit overpowered, which can sometimes lead to issues with noise floors. From my very brief experience so far, it seems to be very quiet.

Valve amps are a really weird area. People focus on the valves in use because of how that impacts upon the presentation style, often ignoring the fact that a decent valve is decent mainly because of it's design and insistence on not cutting corners (as per most Chinese valve amps). I've heard a number of valve amps over the years and most have left me completely underwhelmed. Almost certainly a result of cost cutting in areas like the transformer. My conclusion from that was that if you're not willing to get into the fairly big league, they're more of a sideways move than a genuine move forward. I've yet to hear a sub £1k (new RRP) valve amp that I've liked.

As it happens, I have heard/dem'd an Audio Innovations amp, sounded lovely. They're well thought of now and hold they're values well.

Never heard the Bernings and unfortunately they're out of my price bracket. VERY well regarded on the hi-fi forums.
 
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Finally had some time for a good listen. Straight off, it ain't perfect. Needs cranking up a bit to really swing, and the bass is nothing like as well controlled as with my last amp. If anything, the bass is just too much now, though being fair, some of the tracks I tried included some newer pop with it's love of shake your windows low end.

Making up for that, had mid band to die for. Even Manic Street Preachers sounded good, and that has some of the worst compression I've come across. Also maintains the massive soundstage that the better US gear does so well. The result really does a better job of putting the band in the lounge than nearly anything else I've heard.
As for the bass, well Border Patrol make add an PSU units, that apparently work very effectively in that area.

Now all I've got to do is calm down SWMBO, who doesn't seem too enamoured with a new box in the corner stuffing out more heat than our grill. I did try arguing that at least it's full enclosed, but she looks ready to make me sleep in the spare room tonight.
 
So you a fully fledged member of the valve supporters club now then... Flat earth is distant memory now ;)
Looking forward to the review and how it has changed your system.
 
9designs2 said:
So you a fully fledged member of the valve supporters club now then... Flat earth is distant memory now ;)
Looking forward to the review and how it has changed your system.
Click to expand...

Very few changes so far. Has slotted in between my processor/pre and speakers with no real issues. I had previously been using balanced, which the Canary doesn't support, that hasn't helped the noise floor. In addition I'm having to use a cheap and nasty patch cable (10m of it). The only other issue was choosing the best location for airflow, ease of power sockets, whilst trying to discourage prying fingers and cups of tea. It really does get quite warm.
 
Gamefreak501 said:
Oh no! :(

I'm getting bored of my current equipment, I'm not sure why, perhaps valve is the way for me to go...:D
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Valves, like any other kit are just a different compromise. They can do some things really well, other things less so. They're not a universal panacea.
 
Sad news about the Canary. Any thoughts about a replacement?

I'm playing around with some Lavardin integrateds (Model IS & IS Reference) and the Albarry Pre-Power at the mo. The Larvardins are about new Bel Canto money. Haven't heard the Bel Canto though. Are they still around? Google fu results in a dead end @ Belcantodesign :(
 
lucid said:
Sad news about the Canary. Any thoughts about a replacement?

I'm playing around with some Lavardin integrateds (Model IS & IS Reference) and the Albarry Pre-Power at the mo. The Larvardins are about new Bel Canto money. Haven't heard the Bel Canto though. Are they still around? Google fu results in a dead end @ Belcantodesign :(
Click to expand...

As my requirements are to get something as close to a valve amp as possible in sound, whilst be "cool running" and thus easy to hide, I'm going back to tripath with another Bel Canto unit.

I toyed very briefly with the idea of a Sugden, as they do sound lovely, but that would run nearly as hot as the Canary valve amp.

An icepower amp would be a potential option, but I've heard them and found them more "hifi" than interesting. So that rules out newer BC kit.

On the tripath front, there's host of stuff to look at, using a variety of chips, e.g. the 2020, 2021, 2022, 2024 and 2050. Again, they all have their own compromises.
What puts me off trying some of the cheaper stuff is a belief that the implementation of the design (i.e. PSU, analogue stages etc) are in many ways more important than the chip in use. The one that stood out in the cheapish area was the Bantam audio gold. Gets some good reviews.

For all that, I've found and already ordered a Bel Canto Evo2 power amp. Should be with my on Thurs. My old BC amp was an integrated, with no way to bypass the volume control. It is possible that the power amp only version might have a slight advantage because of it's simplified functionality. Can't say I'm holding my breath on that.

Looks like I'll go take another look at active valve pre-amps when things have calmed down with SWMBO. That might give me some of that valve magic, whilst arriving in a box that is easy enough to hide. A valve buffer is a similar idea (running between my pre-amp and power amp), but a decent valve pre is not much more expensive and would probably retain it's value better.
 
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