What audiophile switch to alternate between a high-wattage solid state AV amp for movies and a low-wattage tube amp for two-channel stereo into Klipsch La Scala's?

[Therandyman]

Hi, from a new member.  May I please have some advice?

 

I am a 70-year-old retiree.  I am not technically oriented, but I am a musician.  For the last several months I have been putting together a new home entertainment system. 

 

In my “media room/den,” I have a combination 7.1 home theatre system which I also will use for two-channel audio for streaming music.  It is powered by a McIntosh MX123 Surround Processor and a MC8207, 7 channel power amp (200W into seven channels, or 250W into two channels).  I bought B&W 805D4 speakers  for the front left and right chain  but I was not happy with their sound for music only in my room, and I will return them.  I want something with a grander sound stage and more of a “wow” factor for music only.  I also have an SVS SB2000Pro sub-woofer, which I will keep in the system.

 

I have ordered a new pair of Klipsch La Scala's, with which I will replace the B&W 805’s.  That presents new amp possibilities, given the 105 dB sensitivity of the La Scala’s.  That got me thinking about tube amps, including Willsenton, Decware and McIntosh.

 

My audio consultant says that we can use the MC8207 to power all the speakers in the home theatre, except the Left Front and Right Front La Scala's, for which we could use a tube amp.

 

I’m wondering what you think about such a mix and match of solid state and tubes in a home theatre system using La Scala's, and whether that would be a waste of a fine solid-state amp like the MC8207!  Some reviewers think there is less than 5% difference between the sound of a modern high-end solid-state amp and a tube amp (and disagree over which sounds better!)  If that is true, then I would not complicate my life with tubes, and would stick with the MC8207 for two-channel stereo as well as 7.1 channel home theatre.   On the other hand, if there is a huge difference, and the tube amp is clearly better for two-channel stereo over the La Scala's, then I might be tempted to go with the mix and match.

 

Even better might be to stick with the MC8207 for movies and just use a tube amp for music.  That would involve installing a switch of some kind as my electronics are rack-mounted in a cabinet and it would not be practical to unplug  cables from one amp and re-plug into the other amp.  Does anyone know of such a high quality switch that would not degrade the sound?

 

Thanks for your input!

 

[Guest crankit]

I use one of these for HT and 2 channel Concert DVD's, good quality though shipping cost has exploded

 

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/265497052097?_trkparms=ispr%3D1&hash=item3dd0db83c1:g:2U8AAOSwWNlg0xVy&amdata=enc%3AAQAGAAAA4Pwzojbt2RppAxprN6g%2Fo6DrIW3bvk4JhnNX%2FOHO8xsmKVuQ3BgCwdiQ%2Fg3lHTKRHsF%2FFvBuGSO5l%2Fro8X%2B2mPQRHtcV7xooGXz%2FMwKiwDR%2BdlXaLRcOtvFFQ%2FhcBZkKb5iZ8Ogp5dXBb%2Ftz46aP4UFjT7h%2Fznl7%2BXGyPPYJCLV2R%2FpO8ufkSTCGIl70e1TVorpoY0vXVTUe3czMSmuF1PHJ%2BpvYdZ8XuzNgi9F8quWNLhcQ2c9eiNfRWXa3O0iyfwds4SDSiqcUiEt9b%2F%2F7kYnDJPDt9Su8JE1p%2Fo5tQIQZ|tkp%3ABFBMgvvGrPpf

 

 

 

[Tweaky]

25 minutes ago, crankit said:

I use one of these for HT and 2 channel Concert DVD's, good quality though shipping cost has exploded

 

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/265497052097?_trkparms=ispr%3D1&hash=item3dd0db83c1:g:2U8AAOSwWNlg0xVy&amdata=enc%3AAQAGAAAA4Pwzojbt2RppAxprN6g%2Fo6DrIW3bvk4JhnNX%2FOHO8xsmKVuQ3BgCwdiQ%2Fg3lHTKRHsF%2FFvBuGSO5l%2Fro8X%2B2mPQRHtcV7xooGXz%2FMwKiwDR%2BdlXaLRcOtvFFQ%2FhcBZkKb5iZ8Ogp5dXBb%2Ftz46aP4UFjT7h%2Fznl7%2BXGyPPYJCLV2R%2FpO8ufkSTCGIl70e1TVorpoY0vXVTUe3czMSmuF1PHJ%2BpvYdZ8XuzNgi9F8quWNLhcQ2c9eiNfRWXa3O0iyfwds4SDSiqcUiEt9b%2F%2F7kYnDJPDt9Su8JE1p%2Fo5tQIQZ|tkp%3ABFBMgvvGrPpf

 

 

 

 

I bought one of these and can report that these switches are build like a tank, and will handle up to 200w, and they have really beefy speaker cable binding posts fitted, probably the biggest binding posts I've see TBH

The only problem I had was a LONG WAIT for it to arrive from Germany.

The seller shipped it on the 31st of January, with tracking number via DHL, and I only received it yesterday, which is exactly 8 weeks later.

God knows if this is usual with stuff sent from Germany [I remember a post from a forum member about a record brush being bought from Germany, and that took about the same time ]

 

Just as well this thing is built like a tank, as I enclose photos of the box when I picked it up yesterday.

Thankfully it was double boxed and had dense foam at each end of the inner box holding the unit in place, otherwise I doubt I would be posting a photo of a usable unit looking at the state of the packaging.

[It's not the sellers fault]

 

 

[rocky500]

If you use a device like this above, do you have to turn off the amps first before switching?

Also if you don't and switch to the Solid stare amp, then do you have to make sure the tube amp is turned off as in it no longer has a load from the speakers? 

Supposedly reading info on line, tube amps need a speaker load while on at all times?

Edited March 28, 2022 by rocky500

[muon*]

Good point, Rocky.

[Tweaky]

10 minutes ago, rocky500 said:

If you use a device like this above, do you have to turn off the amps first before switching?

Also if you don't and switch to the Solid stare amp, then do you have to make sure the tube amp is turned off as in it no longer has a load from the speakers? 

Supposedly reading info on line, tube amps need a speaker load while on at all times?

 

I'm just reading the instruction manual that can with the switch unit and nothing is mentioned about this.[Not much info in the manual anyway ]

If the switch unit works like a dummy load for the amp that is switched out, but not off, is I suppose what is needed to be known.

That I don't know.

 

I've got the unit in front of me, I'll take the casework off and take a photo of the internals, then possibly somebody can look at it and work out if its safe to do what you are asking about.

 

Edited March 29, 2022 by Tweaky

[Full Range]

Just a quick note to say that some requirements apply for tube amps 

 

Traditionally built tube amps must be connected to the speakers before turning on as they use the speaker as part of the circuit 

Tube amps need warm up time of approximately 30 minutes for optimum audio results 

Like you I also have Klipsch La Scala speakers 

I run both Tube and Solid state amps 

And have them independently wired for the reasons I have noted above 

 

Using a switch for Solid State to Solid State is not an issue 

 

[Tweaky]

Well as expected there is really not much to see apart from it being well built.

 

 

[Guest crankit]

Yes, tube amps off before switching and vice versa 

 

As mentioned SS non-issue 

[MattyW]

I do switch between two amps and a single pair of speakers for my 5.1 movie viewing and music though not Klipsch La Scala's.

 

I've a pair of restored B&W DM-16 speakers switched between a Denon AVR and a darTZeel NHB108 circuit based power amp with VTL Reference DAC & TVC pre for music.  I prefer to run all channels from the AVR for movies as keeping the sound coherent between channels is somewhat more important for movies than anything else and the Denon does a fantastic job of this despite a hodge podge of DIY centre speakers and surrounds. Sounds fantastic. An old photo when I had the Tascam PA-R100 in there, it did nowhere near as good of a job sonically as the Denon I now run.

 

[Guest crankit]

A inexpensive option is using a 4pdt switch

 

 

[Ken Oath]

 

Why not just use a tube power amplifier or dual mono tube power amplifiers from the main channel out on your processor?

Sure  you wont use 2 of the 7 channels on your SS power amp, or maybe you will, don't know if your processor does more than 7 channel out?

Anyway would be much simpler, use the tube power amp /  amps for movies and then switch your processor to 2 channel , bypassing multi channel, for stereo listening. 
Another contributor spoke about importance of synergy of sound across main channels, I don’t subscribe to this. The mains are primarily effect channels in most movies with the brunt of the work being done by the centre, plus, unless you have the same centre as your mains, you don't have that synergy anyway.

Just keep it simple. Use your excellent preamp processor as the excellent preamp processor it no doubt is and get your tube fix from a power amp.