i know nothing,what kind of tube amp/receiver do i need?

[chancer03]

have some speakers that i need an amp and/or receiver for. the speakers are
2x 6 ohm sony's.unsure of the wattage
2x 4 ohm 15 watt teak's
2x 125 watt RMS(not sure what RMS means just says it on the speaker)unsure of the ohms but it says 92db per watt
ive been using a jvc RX-R85receiver but it recently gave out.
but it says that it is 120v 325 watts and 420 va
i want to upgrade to a tube amp because the warm,old sound goes great with the kind of music i listen to.
looking online i couldn't find a amp that i thought would work but i'm not sure because i don't know much.i was wondering about the possibility of building my own but wasn't sure about the practicality of that. my budget is about 300 depending on what else i would have to buy to make it work.is there a specific system that anyone would recommend? also feel free to ask questions to help understand what i'm looking for and share as much knowledge as possible, i would love to learn.

i could probably do without the silver ones,the big ones have the big drivers replaced with mtx audio subs

 

[KEW]

As a rule, and especially in the $300 price range, you would do much better to get a more mainstream solid state unit. The Absolute best option (bang for your buck) is AVR's such as Denon sells because they benefit tremendously from economies of scale (mass production with great quality control integrated into the process). This is true even if you only intend to use it as a 2 channel receiver or integrated amplifier. If you absolutely don't want to get into the complexity of an AVR (which benefits from connection to TV for on screen display),then the Stereo receivers from Yamaha or maybe an integrated from Yamaha or Onkyo/Integra is a decent option.
Accessories4Less is the place to go for getting a good price. Units are refurbished (at the direction of the original manufacturer),and is the first place many of us look for buying gear. It is a well managed operation.
For AVR's:
https://www.accessories4less.com/make-a-store/category/avreceiver/home-audio/receivers-amps/home-theater-receivers/1.html?store_price[]=116-258
(note - I used search filters to narrow down the number of results - topped the price out at $250)
As far as wanting to change your sound, speakers is the place to do that, and the speakers you have do not appear to be of good design/quality.
If you are looking for straightforward 2 speaker stereo sound on a budget, nothing can touch the Philharmonic Audio Affordable Accuracy speakers ($200/pr plus shipping):
http://philharmonicaudio.com/aa.html

Sorry not to answer the question you asked, but that is what I would do in your shoes! I think you will be surprised at how favorably a well designed modern speaker will compare to what you currently have.

Last, I am a little concerned because you have three pairs of speakers... if you have been playing two pairs at the same time using your JVC receiver, that may be one of the reasons your JVC died.
For example, if you have two pairs of 8 ohm (impedance) speakers and play both at the same time, you are applying a 4 Ohm load which is not horrible, but would put a heavy demand on the amp section of the JVC. More typically, speakers are around 6 Ohms and two pairs of 6 ohm speakers at the same time gets you a 3 ohm load which is seriously beginning to tax any typical receiver.
If you are playing your 4 ohm speakers at the same time as your 6 ohm speakers, that is a sure recipe for premature amp failure!
If you have replaced drivers in your speakers, that would also alter the impedance of the speakers.
Maybe this has nothing to do with your JVC giving it up, but I'd hate to see you go through receivers faster than you need to.
If that is an issue, all the more reason to get an AVR where you can use separate channels for the second pair of speakers by setting them up as "Zone 2" (or multi-channel stereo mode).

 

[mtrycrafts]

Welcome to AH.

If you want a warmer sound, just use a receiver's internal EQ and roll off the upper end. Tubes are so yesteryear.

 

[lovinthehd]

KEW voiced my concerns about the multiple sets of speakers and your use...am not a tube guy but my understanding is you don't get much for your budget.

 

[chancer03]

i guess i could have worded differently, it wasn't the amp per-say that gave out it way the rca inputs, they have become useless. and i can't even plug anything into the receiver. the receiver is pretty old,20+ years i believe.i know there are much older receivers that work just fine. but this one was never really maintained before i got it 2 months ago. as said i could do without the silver speakers in the photo because they aren't very good and i was only using them to counteract the high bass of the biggest speakers. i also discovered after the first post that the receiver has rated impedance of 8-16 ohms.im not sure if that is per channel or overall. i'm not strict on a vacuum tube amp , i just need to replace my receiver and wanted to know how possible it would be to get one instead of solid state. because i really never have heard a solid state stereo that i liked more than a vacuum tube one. i have seen vacuum tube preamps online could some one please explain those? thank you

 

[chancer03]

also responding to KEW's suggestion of different speakers. and regards of the quality. though they aren't very good. they are plenty adequate for my use and i can only spare 300$ for everything so new speakers aren't an option unless i find some used ones at a thrift store or something. also i realized that i haven't been using the receiver to its full potential, only turning up to 30 which is actually super loud and still perfectly clear. so i could probably use a lower power amp. could anyone suggest a tube amp with outputs and adequate power for the two sony's and maybe a sub? i'm thinking maybe 150 watts? or any other suggestions to give me what i need. and please ask questions to help you help me.

 

[chancer03]

okay so hopefully i am finally asking the right question. how many watts do i actually need, and which vacuum tube amp can deliver. according to my calculations i only need 78 watts to use the sony's and the big ones. my math is based on maximum watts for the sony's and the DB per watt for the big ones. and the internet telling me that 102 DB is the standard measurement to find the required wattage. sorry about so many posts.can any one check my math and help me out?

 

[lovinthehd]

You're the second one recently to mention this 102dB figure to use in some odd backwards calculation....can you link the source for that, I'd like to check it out...

Did you have all three pair hooked up simultaneously? Even just two pair may have killed the receiver....it was meant to drive just one pair of speakers. I looked at the service manual (hifiengine.com) but it didn't mention rated watts per channel, but guessing it was maybe 100-120 range (they're not 100% efficient with power). You haven't explained just how you connected them, but guessing you probably dropped the impedance lower than the amp could handle by wiring in parallel. Try this http://www.bcae1.com/spkrmlti.htm

As far as calculating what wattage you might need, aside from impedance concerns, using the sensitivity spec for the speakers (the 92dB per watt is a way of expressing sensitivity, altho somewhat incomplete expressed that way) as well as the distance you are from a pair of speakers, you can use this spl (sound pressure level) calculator. It's meant for just one speaker per channel of amplification.

Speakers don't have a required wattage per se, although they may have a maximum wattage rating which is more a melting point. For example if your speaker is an 8 ohm speaker and will produce 92dB at one meter distance with one watt (2.83V at 8 ohm)...one watt will get you a fairly high volume with that speaker at a distance of one meter. The sensitivity of the speaker will give you a better idea of how loud it will get with a given amount of power at a particular distance from the speaker. Takes a doubling of power for each additional 3dB spl.

I'd seriously forget using a tube amp at this point with your budget....a used multi-ch receiver would be better for your use.

 

[Kvn_Walker]

Here's the good news: knowing nothing is the first step towards higher learning

The bad news: I looked at pictures of your old receiver and it appears to only have one set of speaker terminals. Were you using all those speakers at once? I'm imagining some Lovecraftian setup with impedance drops so low they would kill pretty much any amplifier on the planet. Most modern receivers and integrated amps have terminals for two pairs of stereo speakers, A and B

Further bad news: you said you replaced the woofers in the big speakers with MTX subs. Hmmmm most car subs are dual voice coil, with either 4-ohm or 2-ohm coils, and have to be wired in parallel or series to get the impedance you need to match your amp. There are some single voice coil subs, but not as common. Now that's a lot to throw at you, but I cannot stress how important it is for us to know the specs of those subs and how you have them wired. If they are wired in such a way to present a 4, 2, or 1 ohm load, you risk damaging any receiver you buy in the future.

Ok here's my suggestion and you can do it with a $300 budget (trust me I was there once myself!). Replace everything. Use $150 of your budget to get a new 2-channel or 5-channel receiver. You will get decent power, all the newest input methods, and A/B speaker connections. 2 channel if you're going for "quadrophonic" sound or 5 channel if you want true surround sound. Get the most power your budget will allow.

Speakers, you're going to have to buy used. But that's okay. Almost every speaker I own is pre-owned, and they last almost forever if taken care of. I'm pretty certain that keeping those no-name speakers with car subs installed will only bring you grief. You seem to like large powerful speakers, and I can relate. But them things ain't cheap. But for $150 and some diligence you can hunt down some older Cerwin Vegas with 12's or 15's. OR, and I can personally recommend these, JBL CF series, either the 120's or 150's. I owned a pair of CF150's for nearly 15 years and still regret selling them. Scour Craigslist and Offerup and Letgo, etc for older large speakers. Heck, even some Optimus Mach 2's will give you decent bass on a budget. But going this route allows you to negotiate, as well as hear the speakers before you buy.

A tube amp isn't going to improve the sound of the speakers you have now. And the speakers pose a risk to any amp you buy in the future. I strongly suggest you start over from scratch. You can build a really nice starter system with $300, but it'll take a bit of legwork.

The best way we can help you is if you post what you are looking at before you buy it so we can give you some advice.

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

I'm with Kevin on this one. Start from scratch. But use the $300 budget for new speakers : Philarmonic AA and a used receiver. Yes, $70-80 should be sufficient to find something decent to power your new speakers.

 

[sterling shoote]

Why not put the speakers on Craigslist? After all, does it make any sense to attempt to accommodate a hodgepodge, or eclectic collection of less than noteworthy speakers, with esoteric tube amps? Ya might want to just start from scratch, beginning with what sort of music and movie media/genres you enjoy and what equipment route might best satisfy your pleasure with such music and movie interest.

 

[chancer03]

so ill explain my whole situation for better understanding the receiver and big speakers were hand me downs. i didn't replace the subs i just know they aren't the original ones. the big speakers are too bassy no matter how the equalizer was adjusted so i had no choice but to wire in 2 more speakers to give me more high frequency response, by just putting the wire for those speakers into the terminals of the other, then because i knew nothing i added yet another set of speakers thinking that it would just give me more sound.and i say again the amp did not give out. the rca inputs did.the radio stills come through loud and clear.. i was hoping someone could tell me what they think of it,what speakers would be good with it. and maybe explain why so i can have a learn more.and if 300$ is impossible. what's the cheapest i could expect to pay for a amp that would deliver enough power for my speakers or a specific set of speakers that i could hope to find used?

 

[chancer03]

these are the links for the page with the 102DB example and the page that i used to figure out how many watts i thought i needed,which i guess was wrong. https://www.lifewire.com/power-needed-for-speakers-3134849 adn heres the amp that i thought might workhttps://www.googleadservices.com/pagead/aclk?sa=L&ai=DChcSEwj10Yjet_3cAhUIymQKHSAbCbcYABADGgJwag&ohost=www.google.com&cid=CAESEeD2lwXC3dUPohAJVJrPWj9L&sig=AOD64_3JaCVSRQoAhvO-_SIFvW4YESeA7Q&ctype=5&q=&ved=0ahUKEwjb9oLet_3cAhUIilQKHRMTDMMQ9aACCDE&adurl=
is it just a crappy made in china amp?and if not what are some examples of different speakers that i could use with it? my minimum speaker capability is at least enough to fill a 8x12ft room with reasonably loud music never having to turn it up past 70 or 80. and i could probably get by with just a new amp so i could get the best one possible and just upgrade my speakers later and deal with the low quality of the big ones i have until i get new ones. maybe these?https://www.googleadservices.com/pagead/aclk?sa=L&ai=DChcSEwif-OLluv3cAhVPXH4KHdIrDbwYABAFGgJwYw&ei=V6l7W8KoL4yd8AOT3JGwBQ&ohost=www.google.com&cid=CAESEeD25P5h-kiy6vsVWncJ9cpf&sig=AOD64_3H-j71AqmYUsW6hYJoPw23tdBgaQ&ctype=46&q=&sqi=2&ved=0ahUKEwiCsN7luv3cAhWMDnwKHRNuBFYQqygIPQ&adurl=

 

[lovinthehd]

these are the links for the page with the 102DB example and the page that i used to figure out how many watts i thought i needed,which i guess was wrong. https://www.lifewire.com/power-needed-for-speakers-3134849 adn heres the amp that i thought might workhttps://www.googleadservices.com/pagead/aclk?sa=L&ai=DChcSEwj10Yjet_3cAhUIymQKHSAbCbcYABADGgJwag&ohost=www.google.com&cid=CAESEeD2lwXC3dUPohAJVJrPWj9L&sig=AOD64_3JaCVSRQoAhvO-_SIFvW4YESeA7Q&ctype=5&q=&ved=0ahUKEwjb9oLet_3cAhUIilQKHRMTDMMQ9aACCDE&adurl=
is it just a crappy made in china amp?and if not what are some examples of different speakers that i could use with it? my minimum speaker capability is at least enough to fill a 8x12ft room with reasonably loud music never having to turn it up past 70 or 80. and i could probably get by with just a new amp so i could get the best one possible and just upgrade my speakers later and deal with the low quality of the big ones i have until i get new ones. maybe these?https://www.googleadservices.com/pagead/aclk?sa=L&ai=DChcSEwif-OLluv3cAhVPXH4KHdIrDbwYABAFGgJwYw&ei=V6l7W8KoL4yd8AOT3JGwBQ&ohost=www.google.com&cid=CAESEeD25P5h-kiy6vsVWncJ9cpf&sig=AOD64_3H-j71AqmYUsW6hYJoPw23tdBgaQ&ctype=46&q=&sqi=2&ved=0ahUKEwiCsN7luv3cAhWMDnwKHRNuBFYQqygIPQ&adurl=

Thanks for the follow up. I think it was the way you were saying it. You only had a sensitivity spec for one speaker and you were using multiple speakers with unknown wiring so you didn't have all the ammunition in any case. Brent Butterworth knows his stuff, does reviews with measurements. That spl calculator I linked is doing all the math for you essentially.

My security blocks that link for the amp. What's the brand and model number, that's usually a better way to go for specs/manuals/reviews than looking at an ad alone.

A small room should be easy enough to deal with for a set of speakers and an amp to get reasonably loud. You're going to use what speakers, though? Sell the ones you have like suggested, or use which pair among them?

Volume numbers like 70 or 80 without context don't mean much, they varied a lot among stereo gear. AVRs can be calibrated so that the volume readings are somewhat consistent and are in dB, which is much more useful for comparisons. How about an spl meter app for your phone and get a reading of some typical volume you listen at?

 

[chancer03]

sorry not 70 or 80 as a measurement, just turning up past 80 percent. what i'm really trying to say is that i never want to need to go max volume. the amp is the monoprice 116153 it should look like this. as for a db reading i have no phone but i have some vu meters that i haven't wired up yet.would the readings from those help?i will order a meter anyways though.but could anyone suggest a couple different setup ideas in some different price ranges? you all are very helpful thank you.

 

[lovinthehd]

How would you determine 70 or 80 percent, tho? It's somewhat meaningless. Usually you do not want to simply turn up an available volume control to 11, tho (that's a reference to a relatively well known movie for amp position on a scale of 1 to 10....not a literal one).

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

i was hoping someone could tell me what they think of it,what speakers would be good with it. and maybe explain why so i can have a learn more.and if 300$ is impossible. what's the cheapest i could expect to pay for a amp that would deliver enough power for my speakers or a specific set of speakers that i could hope to find used?

Please, I beg you. Do come back and re-read existing posts above.
Let me again very plain and very specific:
a) I assume that your goal is to get the best sound with very little money spent.
b) I understand that you like WARM/TUBE sound. but it created without TUBES amps with a tone control
c) Your budget won't allow any decent Tube equipment anyhow
d) A second-hand receiver could cost around $50-80 and provide you with at least 20 years newer technology (your JVC is from 1989). We could even help you recommending a listing if you tell us closest US metro you're live nearby.
e) Recommended Philharmonic AA speakers cost $200 + shipping. If you're in the US that shipping cost is not huge. http://philharmonicaudio.com/aa.html
d and e will give you really high-quality sound.

p.s: I'm still confused many things about your post, but two stand out - how did only RCA ports "died" but the radio works.
p.s.s: The radio (or the tuner) for that model is an external one btw:
https://www.hifiengine.com/manual_library/jvc/rx-r85.shtml

 

[KEW]

Please respond to the items in red and I think we can offer an option to beat what you are proposing within your $300 budget!
Give us a link to your local craigslist (or tell us what city) and let us see what you have for receivers in your area! We can make informed suggestions!
What type of connection(s) are you looking for? I know you said RCA is not useful anymore (I assume you are saying that is not the connection you need and not that they are defective),but are you looking for HDMI? TosLink?, BT?
What source(s) do you plan to use?

As far as the Monoprice amp, it is a bit of an unknown. Monoprice usually does pretty good for the cost, but I would say the tube amp is more of a novelty than a serious piece of gear:
1) The specifications are not given under FTC criteria, looking at the manual, the amp is capable of 53 watts RMS, but that is only at 1kHz (we like to see from 20Hz to 20kHz which is what established companies use) and there is no specification of how much distortion is allowed for this power rating!
2) The +/-2dB from 20Hz to 20kHz rating for the frequency response is pretty sad for an amplifier. Amplification is a mature science and I'm surprised to see such poor numbers for any modern electronics.
3) Look at the photo Monoprice provides looking straight at the front:

The first tube (left-most) leans to the left, the second leans to the left (but not so bad),the third one leans to the right, and the last one looks like it might actually be straight (although it may well lean backwards or forwards)! Crooked tubes should not impact the sound, but I think it does reflect the overall build quality! If this is the best they could find for "showcasing" the product, I cannot be too enthusiastic about recommending it especially knowing you would like to load it for two pairs of speakers!
Also, as BSA has mentioned, you can use tone controls to get the "tube sound".

You mention that you use the silver speakers to offset the bass of the large speakers. Most likely, when the woofer in the large speaker was replaced, the person who did it was oblivious to the need to match the woofer to the rest of the speaker system. If the woofer is more efficient than the other drivers and without modifying the crossover to compensate, you will end up with a bass heavy speaker. If it is a hand me down with extreme nostalgic value, that is one thing; but you need to realize that you are essentially hobbling your system by deciding to keep the large speakers!

The Sony Core speaker is one of the better options/values in a speaker. However, having compared it directly to the Philharmonic AA's, I am comfortable recommending the AA's as a speaker that offers a little more detail, openness, and bass (it may seem counter-intuitive, but this 6.5" mid-woofer in a bookshelf does a tighter and deeper job than dual 5" woofers in the Sony tower). I would buy the Philharmonic AA's even if the Sony Tower was $200/pr.
Nonetheless, if you just want towers or don't want to trust the recommendations of strangers (me and the others here) with an internet order, I do not think you would be disappointed with the Sony towers, they are decent for the price.

Last (but maybe should have been first if I now understand what brought you here),if your real problem is that the JVC only has RCA inputs and you want to use sources with digital inputs, you can get one of these to adapt the two (I have used a similar one and it works great!):
HDMI to RCA adapter (from Amazon)
Optical to RCA Adapter (from Amazon)

 

[Mark of Cenla]

If I had your stuff, I would use the Sony speakers only and buy a stereo receiver, a Sony, Yamaha, or Sherwood. Peace and goodwill.

 

[chancer03]

okay so to clarify the RCA inputs stopped working i plug in a cord from my computer and all i get is low,loud humming and high sharp whines, with major distortion of the song .i have tried every suggestion on the internet and they just don't work even though it worked just fine the day befor. but i'm not sure what you mean about the tuner being separate ,everything is in the same box and the only input for the radio is an antenna. i'm not trying to upgrade from RCA because it's probably impossible with any amp that i could get along with the speakers that everyone recommends.i'm not holding on to any of the speakers for nostalgic value i would gladly sell them to buy nicer speakers,if i did that, what would they go for?like 50 bucks? or if i fixed the crossover,which you noted was mostlikley done incorrectly,how would i do so and is there a article or instructional video you could link?.and on a somewhat separate note. if i had to get a regular receiver how could i get that tube sound without adjusting the EQ?because to me it just really isn't the same, even if a tube amp and a regular amp technically have the exact same warmness and tone. it just still doesn't sound the same, hopefully someone here can understand what i mean. but back to the main topic,i have seen preamps online that are cheaper i'm assuming that the "pre-" means that it goes in before the main receiver is that correct? and does it alter the sound or just add more power? to lovinthehd i'm sorry if my response is vague, but i'm not sure if you don't understand what i mean or, if you do and what i'm saying is just nonsensical, but what i'm trying to say is on the amp i was using it was strong enough that i never had to turn the volume know up past 40 out of 100. i understand that different speakers would affect this differently but my point is, that i want an amp strong enough that i never even have to use it full power, knob at 100 percent.that could mean i never turn it past 10 or never past 99.999999., i'm sorry if my responses don't make sense but i really don't know jack-squat. i'm only trying to give an idea about what i'm looking for. at this point i've become pretty certain that a tube amp isn't gonna happen. but ill link my nearest retail locations and craiglist distance ranges. i am really thrilled that you guys would be willing to go through all that work for me.

P.S. could anyone maybe tell me what info is most important to give and receive when asking questions like this?
P.P.S if i had to just use the built in speakers on my computer for music and save up until i can get the philharmonic speakers or a tower with good base and a good tube amp how much would i expect to spend?if i save up over a few months my budget could be 800 or if i wait like 5 months maybe 1200.