Which BH amps are on the warmer side?

[Jim R.]

Of course a lot of this depends on things to many to list, but a few common things may be iron, caps, and speakers, but of the following amps, which would tend to be classified as on the warmer/more lush side?

1) Paramour II 2a3 or 45

Stereomour 2a3 or 45

Paramount 1.1 300b or 2a3

SR-45

This is not a scientific  study, just asking for general impressions from the folks out there who have heard more than one of these in their systems -- in other words, the rest of the system stays the same, only the amp changes.

Thanks,

Jim

[galyons]

Jim,
Not exactly all of the target amps but, I have:

Paramour I 2A3 BCP15/ 15708 Altec Lansing 70v line transformers,
Paramour II (I think) 45 BCP15/EXO45 and
Paramount 1.0 300B/6CG7. 

The Paramours are slightly warmer than the Paramounts.  But, truly, without doing some focused "line them up and compare", my sonic recollection is that driver and power tube changes make more difference in the warmth spectrum than the differences in the amps/iron. Plus, all of my components have paper-in-oil type caps, they tend to sound rounder, warmer.  There is also a sprinkling of Teflon and Teflon/tin foil in coupling and bypass roles.

I tend to think of the power tubes  as classic, (warm) or modern, (thinner giving the sense of more detail). IMO, old stock and Chinese tubes tend to be classic.  European/Slavic tend to be modern.  I have Sophia meshplates in 45 and 300B, although Chinese, they are the modern side, to me.  The rest of the 45's are OS.  2A3's are old stock, JJ and Sovtek. The JJ 2A3's sound more like a modern 300B than a classic 2A3. (Go figger!)  I currently have Shuguang 300B Z Treasure Black Bottles in the Paramounts and I like the overall tone, warmish with good detail.   The New Sensor Russian Genelex Gold Lion 300B seems to be more  a classic sound, as well, but the jury is still out until I have listened to them more. I can make all of the amps sound warmer, regardless of power tube, changing out the respective driver tubes.

My system is all tube, including a tube buffered CalAudio DAC.  My speakers are updated '60's ElectroVoice three way horns with all Alnico drivers, so that is going to have an big influence on the overall voicing. Not much happening above 16KHz or below 50Hz.  Alnico magnets also sound warmer, to me,  than ferrite and neodymium magnets.  You might guess that I like warm and my system reflects that! 

Will be really interesting to hear from others!!

Cheers,
Geary

[Jim R.]

Geary,

Of course you're right -- I am not sure why the tube characteristics didn't figure in as I'm kind of a tube junkie myself.

Your system sounds like one I'd very much enjoy -- the 50 - 16khz range is quite adequate for me and 99% of what I listen to (pretty much the same stuff you do, but also known to throw on some Proffessor Trance and the Energizers and the like now and then :-) ) And of course I'm a real sucker for alnico as well.

Anyway, thanks for the sanity check!

-- Jim

[johnsonad]

Tubes and caps add to the warmth.  BH amps don't have the classic tubey sound as you well know.  If you want to add it, go for a warmer driver tube (in my amps that's an RCA vs. the Sylvania's) and PIO caps for coupling and PF.  I just rotated in a Rike PF cap yesterday and it is definitely sweeter than the KBG but at the loss of the leading edge of the note and some detail.  Hopefully this improves with break in.

[Jim R.]

Hey Aaron,

Yes, give the Rikes some time -- several people I know and trust have given them a try and said that they do need some break in -- not as much as teflon -- but a decent amount. The rewards are substantial though. I have a number of them now waiting to go into select amps -- both as coupling and PF caps, and also a pair to put in my 6j5 preamp.

Why am I asking all this? because my trishnas have neo magnets, which I normally don't like, but the guy who sold them to me also is not a lover of neo magnets and he says these drivers are very special and don't sound like typical neo magnets. I do wish I could get replacement drivers for these speakers with alnico magnets, but the odds of that are nil.

-- Jim