"Keith G" wrote in message
...

"Mike Gilmour" wrote


OK Mike, it is being sucked and seen - seems to be OK. (Tuner shared
between two amps.) Doesn't seem to be making a lot of difference??




Why two amps from one source Keith? Are you feeding different rooms or
doing biamping experiments? Just me being nosey..tell me to FO if its
not show n' tell ;-)



It's no big secret Mike. I've been doing some amp/speaker pairings lately
to explore the effects of different valve amps playing into different
speakers (nothing too special - all bread and butter stuff). See:

http://www.apah69.dsl.pipex.com/keit...akerlineup.jpg

and

http://www.apah69.dsl.pipex.com/keit...ow/twoamps.jpg


Having two 'identical' amps sharing the same source simultaneously allows
me to make a quite good direct comparison on the different speakers by
means of a bit of deft volume up/volume down 'prestidigitation'. (Shiny
Nigel's booked himself in for tomorrow evening again and I'll need to have
some new tricks to keep him amused!! :-)

It has actually been very interesting to discover how the amp/speaker
pairings do, in fact, alter the sound.

If you are interested, I would have to say the sweetest 'vinyl' sound
comes from the 4wpc triode amp on a pair of old 84 dB B&W speakers (would
you believe!!) while the best 'digital sound' (CD, DAB, MP3s) comes from
the Chinese EL34s on a pair of Ruarks (not shown in the above pic) - when
a subwoofer is about as much use as an ashtray on a motorbike!! (The
Ruarks go down to 38 Hz and the EL34s have no trouble finding it!!)

Just me arseing about - I can put a stop to it any time and go with just
about any combination, but you know what it's like !!

;-)



I've always thought that valve amps and speakers should come as a pair,
though maybe half the enjoyment is finding out what works well with what...
A bad match ends up with folk either laying fault with the amp or at the
speakers door (didn't know speakers had doors ;-) What do you think of the
Ruarks as I used to hear some good sounds at the Ruark room at London hifi
shows..always struck me as being well made though I've never owned a pair.
One of the dems was the Saint Saens Organ Symphony, can't now remember which
model it was but I stayed through as it was very enjoyable and certainly
held together well.

We have a circle of audio nuts around here in which we take turns in
visiting. I'm off soon to Aberdeen to stay overnight and do some serious
listening/supping ...seems we are now all into room correction so its all
about measuring rooms and experimentation with bass traps, diffusers etc.
(all sighted comparisions but what the hell).
Arseing about with audio gear is half the fun plus you soon get to know what
pairs well together(sighted of course ;-)