i am looking for a good amp for my proac tablette ref 8 signature speakers, I am currently using a nad c350 which is a great all rounder, powerfull and loud with lots of control and plays most things well. I do feel that there is more to come from these speakers and Im sure they could give me a lot more. I have heard that valve amps work well with proac speakers, I have looked at a few on ebay from china, one is a 6550A KT-88 or the other is a Yaqin MC10L EL34 these are around roughly £200-£300, they seem to be better value for money than buying something from the UK. any ideas if this would be an improvement on what I got now or is it a sideways step? whats is the best amp for my speakers? is there something else I should be looking at? I would like as much detail, realism and to get the most from the proacs. I am really impressed with the proac ref 8 sig speakers so far, for their size they are amazing. any help would be greatly apriciated.

do you have any experience with tube amplification? whats your price range, what do you not like in the sound and what do you want it to be? what other components are you using?

there are a slew of solid choices out there, just depends on what you want and what your budget is.

I'm a sucker for small speakers and that ones are on my list. They have a custom-made bass driver with bar-magnets instead of the usual ring. They are indeed very good, but imo you must spend a little more than 300 pounds to take everything out of that speakers...

my el34s are about 35 watts if i remember right. it is a good rock amp. i put mullards in mine. listening to a kt88 right now.

thanks for my replies. I have also been reading clint e. older posts which I found very useful thank you. I have decided to buy a yaqin buffer, to see if this gives me a bit more of what I am looking for. i do realy like and dislike the idea, I have read rave reviews for the mf X-10d. the idea of tubes I like but i always thought that putting something in the way of the signal would decrease the sound quality not improve it, I will let you know what I think. I did buy a small valve a EL84 / 6P14 x 4, about 15 watts per chanel, I used this with my old proac super tablettes, and at times it was magical, the amp sometimes sounded uncannily real compared to the SS I have had over the years (and I have had many) , but i am a bit torn between tubes and higher power SS amps. I have a very nasty digital front end, so may-be its not the amp that needs upgrading as it does have plenty of power. I will let you know how I get on.

I sold my valve amp for various reasons but I do still have urges for the sound it gave me. If I was to get another I may even go for the big one the MC10L, but I’m going to just try the buffer for the moment. And if I do upgrade I am very tempted to go for a second hand higher end big powerful SS rather than a valve, I need to listen to a few, if I had the chance to dem someone else’s pride and joy systems one day it would be nice.

And clint, you need to buy a set of these proac tablette ref 8 sigs if you got a thing for small speakers. They are something else, I have had to many speakers over the years, some expensive large floorstanders and loads of classy miniatures over the years including AE1s on their own stands but these are the smallest and the sound they make is breathtaking at times, they do things I didn’t think small speakers could do, they do not sound small. They did take a very long time to run in though and sounded very average when I first got them.

I know exactly what you mean, the same happened with my B&W CDM1 SE, i mean the long break-in period. And yes, your speakers are definitely in my small list, together with the Usher BE-718.

I'll think you'll have a big surprize with the Yaqin tube buffer...

I liked the cdm1se but I never got around to buying them. I did own a set of B&W P4s for a while which have a very simular sound and presentation to the 1se's. I did enjoy those.

Im looking forward to the yaqin, and I shall let you know

I'm at the same stage you are. I have owned and heard plenty of high power solid state amps and receivers and decided to buy a current model used MAC tube system. I like the easy power of SS and in back to back listening, SS has better detail and impact. However, tubes come together much better presenting less fatigue and better soundstage. I have to run all four of my amps and speaker sets to get soundstage that comes close to my 2-channel tube setup. I like both technologies, tubes will not take over as the fanatics promise.

I agree with everything you have said. I’m sure your right tubes wont take over, there is just too many drawbacks with them. I like both so that’s why I am going to try to put a bit of both in my system with a tube buffer. That way I get to keep the clean sound with grip, power and the impact which you mention that I love from SS and also get to hear the lovely velvety organic type detailed spacious sound that a tube can give. Sounds good in theory but im yet to take delivery of my buffer yet so I will let you know if it works in practice.

I’ve had loads of SS amps over the years but I always found myself picking holes in them, its funny as one of the most satisfied ive been with a SS amp was a relatively cheap one a pioneer A400, this was partnered with a reference pioneer PD91 CD player and some epos es11 speakers, the music and sound it made at times was breathtaking.

The First time I heard a valve recently as a separates amp HiFi, I was shocked at the sound coming from the speakers totally different and a refreshing change from SS I didn’t know that a hifi could sound like that, but after owning one for a while I think they both have their strengths and weaknesses, I too like both types very much. If money was no object I would have two the best of either type.

To my ears, the best SS are the most accurate which means fast rise time, slew rates, high DF, etc. This is a double edge sword. Sure, definition and detail go up which reveals nuances in the artistry but also unpleasant mixing and even artifacts in the recording. The bigger downside is fatigue from harder sound edges and transitions that are more abrupt.

Compared to SS, tubes spec poorly. For example, my current model MC275V has a DF of only 14, which in an SS amp would sound wooly. I'm not sure why and how tubes are able to convey warmth and crispness but it is a fact and I am thankful for it. Until I understand why better, I can only offer crude analogies. Tubes are to SS like vinyl is to CD. Tubes sound less compressed and more lively.

Above comments based on using the same model speakers.

The Pioneer A400 is a reference amp of the 90's. At least in Europe. I remember quite well that incredible "little" amp. Together with the Nad 3020, the Cyrus One and the Rotel BX820 (840) the A400 made the Europeans audiophiles on a budget looking at Sony with different eyes.
Even now if i were lucky enough to find one of those A400 i'll certanly buy it.

the A400 is pound for one of the best amps i have ever owned. I even did side by side comparisons with Cyrus 3s, Audiolabs 800As, rotel pre powers 970s. but I still found the A400 cleaner more detailed and with more grip, may be not as reserved and as smooth as some and a bit fussy about what speakers you use but in my opinion much much better value for money, and with a very high quality source and speakers there is not much that can touch it even now, unless you spend a lot of money. HiFi has not improved that much in all these years just changed a little.


im sure it was that amp that got it all started for me in my never ending quest for hi end audio.

Just if you’re interested, I picked up a pioneer A400 the other day very cheap from a friend. back to back listening with the A400 and the nad C350 I discovered to my surprise with my Proac tabs 8 sigs, that I actually preferred the C350, the A400 did have a surprising amount of bass and it was very powerful in the bass, the vocals sounded a bit sterile and electrical when compared to the Nad the nad was much more organic in the Vocals and sound much more natural and realistic. Just thought I would pass this on to all, and I was a die hard A400 years ago. I sold the A400 kept the nad, the Nad was the better overall sound. the A400 did have a lot of grip in the bass though, bass you could really feel, even with my compact Proac, the Nad couldn’t quite match it in this department but overall the Nad sounded much nicer.

I know what you mean i also have two nad amps, the old 3020 and the new C325BEE and yes they have incredible mid tones. Very open, detailled and wide. After all that's one of Nad's sound signature.
Any news about the buffer?

I got some news, I am not giving up as annoyed and out of pocket as I am, I bought another one from eBay, I don’t know where else i can get one. this time from a different seller and they promise 7 -10 day delivery not 8 weeks. I am determined to get valves in my system. there is no way im risking sending the old buffer back I have wasted enough time and money on that seller, I have tried communicating with them many times but all im getting from them is garbled messages, I think they are having trouble with their English? I am really not happy about that purchase that’s one thing I regret buying from ebay. I have put the faulty one back on eBay as faulty and if someone has a little bit of electrical knowledge it may be an easy fix for them, it could be something very simple, as everything seems to light up on it. I did try other interconnects also as you said Clint, but it was the same problem.

Ill let you know how I get on with this one. I know that it could be just a faulty one, I have bought and I know others who have bought Valve amps off eBay in the past and they have been fine, the big problem is when you receive something and it doesn’t work.