AR-2ax and high power solid state amps vs lower power tube amps

[Norman Nicolai]

Does anyone have an opinion on how the AR-2ax sounds being driven by higher powered SS amps (100wpc and more) vs lower power tube amps (30wpc)?

I have read a great deal on this forum about the AR-3a sounding significantly better when really high SS amps drive it. 

Does the same rule apply to the 2ax, or does the difference in impedance, 4 ohms vs 8 ohms make a difference?
 

[nefertem]

Hi I remember my friend blowing out the tweeters on his AR3 so with speakers that old with original drivers i would approach with caution ⚠️ 

[samberger0357]

Not looking to debate the subject and I won’t since I’ve been there/done that. I’ll just say that while I have found using larger solid state amps used with a modicum of caution sound terrific with 2AX and 3 and 3a, my most enjoyable coupling to date has been using a pair of McIntosh MC30’s with my 3’s. They tested at just over 40 watts, and in my smaller space, with how loud I like to listen and what I listen to, it’s the most musical pairing I’ve ever had in the decades of music listening I’ve experienced. So I’d suggest it’s a very personal choice and if you can to try both types of amps and decide for yourself. The 2AX’s are easier to drive then 3/3a so you do have more flexibility. 

[AR surround]

I can tell you from experience that going from a Dynaco Stereo 80 (40 wpc SS)  to a Dynaco ST400 (200 wpc SS) amp made a world of difference on my 8 ohm AR5's.   But I did blow a tweeter somewhere down the line.  Fuses may help.  I never had the pleasure of trying a tube amp on them.

[Norman Nicolai]

3 hours ago, samberger0357 said:

Not looking to debate the subject and I won’t since I’ve been there/done that. I’ll just say that while I have found using larger solid state amps used with a modicum of caution sound terrific with 2AX and 3 and 3a, my most enjoyable coupling to date has been using a pair of McIntosh MC30’s with my 3’s. They tested at just over 40 watts, and in my smaller space, with how loud I like to listen and what I listen to, it’s the most musical pairing I’ve ever had in the decades of music listening I’ve experienced. So I’d suggest it’s a very personal choice and if you can to try both types of amps and decide for yourself. The 2AX’s are easier to drive then 3/3a so you do have more flexibility. 

I’ve paired my 2ax’s with most of my tube equipment, including my Fisher 400, and 500B receivers, and Heathkit W5M mono blocks. The Fishers run between 25 and 30 wpc and the W5M’s are rated at 25 wpc. I like the sound I get from all of them, especially the 500B. However, I recently purchased a SS Mitsubishi DA-A10 power amp and paired it to my stacked Advent OLA’s and couldn’t believe how much better they sounded compared to the SS Harman Kardon receiver I was using. The HK receiver is high current and rated at 120 wpc, but I think that is a wildly optimistic rating. The DA-A10 is rated very conservatively at 100 wpc, but I believe it pushes well beyond that. The stacked OLA’s opened up and had much better bass. After all I read here about high wattage SS amps opening up AR-3a’s, I wanted to ask about the 2ax’s.

Full disclosure: My 2ax’s are on the second floor of my house; the Mitsubishi DA-A10 is in my basement. I could move them around to find out for myself, but I have had a lower back medical procedure recently, and I can’t carry large speakers and heavy amplifiers up and down two flights of stairs. While everyone knows the two AR speakers are heavy, the DA-A10 also weigh a ton. That’s why I’m seeking advice here, tapping into the great store of knowledge on this site, before trying to make arrangements to move some very heavy equipment.

Thanks, everyone!

 

[frankmarsi]

Here we go again..........

Look up almost any of my posts where I'm sure I fervently endorsed the higher the better when it comes to wattage.

And, much like money, the more you have the better everything is.

Your 36lb. Mitsubishi DA-A10 amp is sufficient enough for AR-2ax's and I can say that because I've been involve with high power since I became aware of the Crown DC300 @ 150WPC when it was first offered and then again when Phase Linear kicked everything to the curb and introduced real high power back in 1972. Luckily for me I was all ready to embrace the common sense those early power wars made and in 1974 purchased my first PL-400. Now and as I've said countless times, I enjoy very-high power watts and concentrate on the music only and laugh at the knowledge that a couple of late-bloomers  who contested my experiences now strut around 'A.K.' and other forums like peacocks telling the world about the epiphany they've had only in the last few years and have only recently done an about face from their B.S. low power amps to higher watts. Though there are a few screw balls who go from low power, rant all over the net about low watt virtues then switch to high power and rant all over again about high power's virtues. My first 400WPC amp I was still in my family's house and the room I was in was 10X11. Of course I didn't blast away for fear of tweeter blow-outs and it could be quite overbearing however, I heard ever detail the program material had to offer at any level I listened to. Again, another virtue of high watts, detail.

My suggestion to Norman is to delve into reading what the 'big-boys' know, check out the reviews contained in the 'High-End' world and use and judge your needs from there. I've watched the paths some non-cognoscenti have taken while I hold on strongly to everything I've learned and low and behold it's always the wrong path others take. Oddly enough some have gone from low power to high power (good) and then back again to low power (bad). Now, that's nuts and clearly indicates a lacking of the fundamental knowledge and also shows how much they know (nil). Roller-coasting like that in Hi-Fi is saturated with indecision and ultimately disappointment. And in that case it's the ole' horse to water answer. For some, I believe that sometimes this not so old world of posting online has created more problems than it has cured. Generally speaking over 50% of most posters are 'parroting' information they've read but sadly, don't really have a body of quality experience and in no time start posting everywhere spreading...wait for it.......mis-information.  Oh my, what a trendy word

I better run along before the usual suspects and detractors come along besides, I must go count my pennies as last week I put $40. of gasoline in my car and received just over 7 gals., for next week I ordered 200gals. of heating oil and it's going to cost me $5.90 a gal. gee, how does that happen? Hey, if I don't have a warm house, how can I sit and listen to the sweet and warm sounds that I enjoy?

Vintage baby, vintage.

FM

 

 

 

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[ar_pro]

8 hours ago, samberger0357 said:

I’ll just say that while I have found using larger solid state amps used with a modicum of caution sound terrific with 2AX and 3 and 3a, my most enjoyable coupling to date has been using a pair of McIntosh MC30’s with my 3’s. 

Are you using the 4 ohm taps on your MC30s, Sam?

[ar_pro]

15 hours ago, Norman Nicolai said:

Does anyone have an opinion on how the AR-2ax sounds being driven by higher powered SS amps (100wpc and more) vs lower power tube amps (30wpc)?

I have read a great deal on this forum about the AR-3a sounding significantly better when really high SS amps drive it. 

Does the same rule apply to the 2ax, or does the difference in impedance, 4 ohms vs 8 ohms make a difference?
 

I've heard the AR-2ax with a 200 watts/channel solid-state amplifier, and all was good. The temptation to turn the volume too high is a strong one, though.

[samberger0357]

45 minutes ago, ar_pro said:

Are you using the 4 ohm taps on your MC30s, Sam?

Yes.

[ar_pro]

1 hour ago, samberger0357 said:

Yes.

Of course. For some reason, I thought the MC30 had a 2 ohm tap; I must have been conflating tube with solid-state.