Complete NOOB question - driving the Source series..

[deilenberger]

I'm picking up some very low hour Sources tomorrow. Right now I have a choice of amps to drive them with..

Solid state: Marantz 140 - vintage classic amp that outperforms all it's spec's and supposedly does OK with 2 Ohm loads.. Rated at 70WPC at > .1% THD, it usually tests out at over 90WPC at .1% THD, and 20-20k +/- 0db (and no noise at all..)

Tube: Marantz 8B - slightly modded many years ago (added more capacitor to the B+ supply and some parallel capacitors to clean up the high frequencies.) Another classic, it does have 4 Ohm taps on the power transformers, and it was the amp of choice for KLH-9 speakers back in the day..

Anyone have experience driving Sources with either of these oldies? (Ahead of them will be a Marantz 3200 preamp, then Dual 501 DD turntable/Shure V15-Type 5 and undecided if I want to update my $10 flea-market Sony CD changer..)

These will be used in a small room - about 10'x14', 7'8" ceilings.

 

[projectormovielover]

First ML speakers were the source and after 2 years I love them. The 8b should sound great with them as source are very easy to drive so tubes go great with them. I have driven the source with a multi amp and high end HT anthem pre but was never happy. I got a cheapo tube integrated from ebay and it sounded fantastic

 

[Rickk]

When I had Sources they were wired to Marantz RM5003 which has only 45 watts and sounded very good.

 

[deilenberger]

Thanks both! I guess when I get them home (they're in the back of my SUV at the moment on their way home) I'll initially set them up with the Marantz 140 amp... then put the 8B on a Variac and start reforming the capacitors in it (hasn't been powered on in about 10 years..) then decide which one sounds best. I'm sort of guessing the 8B will despite being less powerful - it is a really classic amp for good reason, it was about the most musical amp I've ever heard. And it did sound wonderful with the KLH-9 door size electrostics ummm... well... close to 50 years ago now. If I'd had the room, there are some KLH 9's for sale at AudioGon for a not unreasonable price, and I was sorely tempted by the memory of that wonderful sound.

 

[deilenberger]

Figured I'd report in - since people often pose questions and never post the solution they found..

The Marantz 140 amp is working just fine with the Sources.. The front meters rarely make it above 1/3rd scale even at loud listening volumes.

I used to be able to pin the meters with the McIntosh ML-2C box speakers the Sources replaced (the ML-2C also required an equalizer between the pre-amp and power-amp to boost the bottom end since despite having dual 12" woofers - they had huge magnets and were heavily over-damped, so low frequency started falling off rapidly, requiring equalization to get near flat response.)

 

[Brad225]

Glad to hear it has worked out. Keep us posted on how the tubes sound compared to the SS.