Sex 4 + Moreplay vs Stereomour

[Big Bamboo]

A few years ago I built a crack, then a sex 3.0 which I'm using near field on my computer desk. I have considered upgrading to the Stereomour, although I would miss the headphone jack (yes, I know there are workarounds).

So now that the sex 4 + Moreplay combo is available, I'm curious to know how it would perform compared to the Stereomour. I don't have a ton of room on my desktop so fitting in another amp would be tight.

I'm trying to consider the pros and cons of each.

I'm itching for an excuse to build another kit.

BTW, I am so delighted to see Bottlehead living on with the new ownership.

Thank You for carrying the torch forward.

 

[Paul Birkeland]

The Stereomour gives you a lot of performance due to the directly heated 2A3s being so dang linear, and it has a ridiculous amount of flexibility with upgrades. Its downsides are primarily related to cost, size, and cost of tube rolling.

The SEX 4 gives about the same power as the Stereomour with a much smaller footprint, lower noise floor, and more predictable performance with loudspeakers (especially bass reflex boxes). 6FM7 tubes remain pretty affordable and still somewhat abundant, even though I tried to buy them all before the product launch

If you are using the SEX 4 as a desktop amp being fed by a USB DAC only, a preamp would appear to be optional.

 

[Jameson]

All the things Paul said are true, obviously, but he left out some other benefits, like: a SEX 4 is way more fun to build than no kit at all, and you’d be one of the first people in the world to own this amp.

Plus, Paul has most of the world’s supply of 6FM7s squirreled away in a secret bunker. He can’t be allowed to own them all, right?

 

[Natural Sound]

I own a few DAC's and wish to play the devils advocate for a moment if I may. If you are using software to control the output of your DAC you are technically and audibly losing some fidelity. Running your DAC in "bit perfect" mode will sound better than "software mode." The difference depends a lot on the source content, your audio chain and your ears. 24 bit source material is more noticeable on my system.

So in my case I'd spring for the Moreplay if and when I get the S4. It's a strong possibility that I will too. I'm retiring in 2 weeks and this would be a fun project for me.

Sorry, I didn't mean to go down a rabbit hole. I was attempting to share my experiences of squeezing as much performance out of a system as possible.

 

[Big Bamboo]

I think if I’d get the sex4 I’d go ahead and do the moreplay as well. That way I’d have the pleasure of building two kits.
Which begs the question: with the moreplay/sex4 combo, would I be likely to notice an improvement over my sex 3. I don’t necessarily need more volume.

 

[Doc B]

Yes, MP and SEX4 is a more lively sound, more dynamic. That improved dynamic pace adds a little more excitement factor to the music.