I've been given the green light

FestYboy
FestYboy Posts: 3,861
in 2 Channel Audio
Ok, I'm a happy boy!! Caety just gave permission to purchase an amp to mate to the karma speakers I just received.

So in that vein, I'm throwing myself at the mercy of the forum for suggestions on a small form factor amp (tube possibly) that sounds good and won't break the bank. I know I can add Bluetooth with an add-on, but if there's an integrated out there...
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  • mikeyb128
    mikeyb128 Posts: 2,885
    So what's your budget? Times that by 3. Club Polk = blow the budget.
    2 channel:
    Bryston 4B3, Bryston BDA3, Cary SLP05, Shanling CDT1000SE with parts conneXion level 2 mods, Nottingham analogue ace space 294, soundsmith Carmen MKii, Zu DL103 MKii, Ortofon MC 20 MKii, Dynavector XX2 MKii, Rogue Audio Ares, Core power technologies balanced power conditioner, Akiko Corelli power conditioner with Akiko Audio HQ power cable, Nordost heimdall 2, Frey 2, interconnects, speaker and power cables, Focal Electra 1028 BE 2, Auralic Aries Femto, Black diamond racing cones, ingress audio level 1 roller blocks, JL Audio E110 with Auralic subdude, Primacoustics room treatments.
    Theater:
    Focal Aria 926,905,CC900, SVS PB ultra x2. Pioneer Elite SC85, Oppo BDP93, Panamax M5400PM, Minix neox6, Nordost Blue heaven LS power cables.

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  • FestYboy
    FestYboy Posts: 3,861
    mikeyb128 wrote: »
    So what's your budget? Times that by 3. Club Polk = blow the budget.

    Ain't that the truth!!! O_o
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  • FestYboy
    FestYboy Posts: 3,861
    Yep2 wrote: »
    Find a used Acurus A 250, you wont regret it. o:)

    Ummm was hoping for something smaller, and that definitely doesn't have any WAF. Think half rack sized.
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  • VR3
    VR3 Posts: 28,642
    Parasound hca100
    - Not Tom ::::::: Any system can play Diana Krall. Only the best can play Limp Bizkit.
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  • FestYboy
    FestYboy Posts: 3,861
    Ok full disclosure: her studio is all of 6x7... 4 tube watts would be more than enough. In most cases I would side with Tim Taylor, but budget and WAF constraints prevail...
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  • erniejade
    erniejade Posts: 6,321
    W4s amps have power and smaller in size.
    Klipsch The Nines, Audioquest Thunderbird Interconnect, Innuos Zen MK3 W4S recovery, Revolution Audio Labs USB & Ethernet, Border Patrol SE-I, Audioquest Niagara 5000 & Thunder, Cullen Crossover II PC's.
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  • tratliff
    tratliff Posts: 1,701
    Sounds like you should look at the parasound Z series, also check out Teac.
    2 Channel Rosso Fiorentino Volterra II, 2 REL Carbon Limited, Norma Revo IPA-140B, Lumin U2 Mini, VPI Prime w/SoundSmith Zephyr MIMC, Modwright PH 150, Denon DP-59l w/Denon DL-301MKII, WAY Silver 3 Ana+ Speaker Cables, WAY Silver 4+ Interconnect Cables, AudioQuest Niagara 7000 w/Dragon and Hurricane Power Cables
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  • FestYboy
    FestYboy Posts: 3,861
    edited September 2017
    erniejade wrote: »
    W4s amps have power and smaller in size.

    Tried googling that an only got a vintage tube amp for a hit, and at almost 16" wide it's kinda big... Got a lint to what you're thinking about?

    Edit: found it! Wired 4 sound... Yeah, they're expensive! :# I don't mind used and was hoping to keep it in the 300 or less range. I always wondered about the larger headphone amps with the tube pres and wondered how'd they hold up since I know some have 5-ways in the back...?
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  • MrBuhl
    MrBuhl Posts: 2,419
    If you don't need a ton of juice, How about a Parasound HCA-600, Acurus A80, or an older Carver 0.5t? All are pretty close to half-rack. Some of the Rotel stuff is fairly thin.
    VA HT HK AVR20II, Sony S9000ES CD/DVD/SACD, Polk Audio RC80i / Polk Audio CSi3, 60" Panasonic Plasma, Nordost / Signal Cable A2 / Wireworld / Pangea / Magic Power
    VA 2 Channel Focal Electra 926 speakers, Pass Labs X150.5 Amp, Eastern Electric MiniMax Preamp (Tutay mods), Eastern Electric Minimax CDP (Scott Nixon mods), Music Hall mmf 5.1 Turntable, Parks Audio Budgie Phono Pre , Audioengine B1 streamer, MIT S3 IC's / MIT Shotgun S3 Speaker Cables / PS Audio power cables
    Noggin Schiit Valhalla, Pangea, Phillips Fidelio X1, Polk UF8000

    Polk SDA1c modded
    Polk CRS+ 4.1TL modded (need veneer)
    Polk SDA2BTL (fully modded)
    A/L 1000VA Dreadnought Canare 4s11 SDA cable
    SACD Marantz DV8300
    Sony S9000ES CD/DVD/SACD
    Yamaha YP-D6
    Soundcraftsmen PCR800
    Audible Illusions L1 Preamp
    Vincent MFA based Cocci Tube Preamp
    Pho-700 Phono Pre
    Signal Cable Silver Resolution IC's






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  • FestYboy
    FestYboy Posts: 3,861
    I'm probably using half rack incorrectly. What I mean is half width, hight isn't as much an issue.
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  • TNTsTunes
    TNTsTunes Posts: 751
    edited September 2017
    How about something line this? It's a 12 incher, that should make any wife happy.

    https://musicdirect.com/integrated-amp/Jolida-Fusion-1102-Integrated-Amplifier-Black-DEMO

    7kbqza3dlb3g.png
    "Make a man a fire and he'll be warm for a day. Light
    a man on fire and he'll be warm for the rest of his life."

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  • FestYboy
    FestYboy Posts: 3,861
    Yeah, she likes the look, but definitely NOT the price... :o
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  • TNTsTunes
    TNTsTunes Posts: 751
    Want smaller? How about an 8 incher???

    https://musicdirect.com/integrated-amp/jolida-fx10-integrated-tube-amp

    lktrorwmfy07.png
    "Make a man a fire and he'll be warm for a day. Light
    a man on fire and he'll be warm for the rest of his life."

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  • TNTsTunes
    TNTsTunes Posts: 751
    How about a PS Audio Sprout? Features are 50WPC Amp, Phonostage, 24-Bit Asynchronous DAC, and aptX Bluetooth Receiver. Slightly over budget but she might like it's features.

    q3g5543k9bt8.png

    psaudio.com/products/sprout/

    "Make a man a fire and he'll be warm for a day. Light
    a man on fire and he'll be warm for the rest of his life."

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  • ZLTFUL
    ZLTFUL Posts: 5,648
    Sonos Connect Amp
    "Some people find it easier to be conceited rather than correct."

    "Unwad those panties and have a good time man. We're all here to help each other, no matter how it might appear." DSkip
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  • rooftop59
    rooftop59 Posts: 8,121
    Probably ur best option, and u can find a better deal used: http://www.audioadvisor.com/prodinfo.asp?number=PAZAMPV3&variation=BLK&gclid=CjwKCAjwuvjNBRBPEiwApYq0ztkajdfR3eG6L04MdEgPIWIHlRLwmt3ZR1rDwxfk9ob6MVf4yL75xhoCL8YQAvD_BwE

    I will say that when I had one briefly I compared it to an audiosource amp200 (not exactly an audiophile amp lol) and the audiosource destroyed it power wise. More bass, better dynamics and authority, everything was better. But driving Polk monitor 5s with peerless newrfiled in my office, the parasound was GREAT.

    Daytons t-amp is also a good option for efficient speakers in a small space...
    Living Room 2.2: Usher BE-718 "tiny dancers"; Dual DIY Dayton audio RSS210HF-4 Subs with Dayton SPA-250 amps; Arcam SA30; Musical Fidelity A308; Sony UBP-x1000es
    Game Room 5.1.4:     Denon AVR-X4200w; Sony UBP-x700; Definitive Technology Power Monitor 900 mains, CLR-3000 center, StudioMonitor 350 surrounds, ProMonitor 800 atmos x4; Sub - Monoprice Monolith 15in THX Ultra
    Bedroom 2.1     Harmon Kardon HK3490; Bluesounds Node N130; Polk RT25i; ACI Titan Subwoofer
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  • FestYboy
    FestYboy Posts: 3,861
    TNTsTunes wrote: »
    How about a PS Audio Sprout? Features are 50WPC Amp, Phonostage, 24-Bit Asynchronous DAC, and aptX Bluetooth Receiver. Slightly over budget but she might like it's features.

    q3g5543k9bt8.png

    psaudio.com/products/sprout/

    Oh wow, that's awesome (yes over budget, but...) I wonder if I wait a bit the holidays may bring the price down??
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  • mrbiron
    mrbiron Posts: 5,711
    Doubtful. I owned one for a while and it was a great piece. I look every week, because I want another, but haven't found one under $400 used yet...
    Where’s the KABOOM?!?! There’s supposed to be an Earth shattering KABOOM!!!
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  • FestYboy
    FestYboy Posts: 3,861
    edited September 2017
    Keep 'em coming guys!! I'm looking at all suggestions.

    So far the sprout and spark are the for runners... Both a bit higher than I was hoping but if I add a BT receiver to the spark, they're in a dead heat.
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  • FestYboy
    FestYboy Posts: 3,861
    I'm also searching, here's what I found:

    NAD D 3020
    TEAC AI 301DA

    Any experience with those? Crutchfield has both listed at 400, so they're very close to the above options.
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  • TNTsTunes
    TNTsTunes Posts: 751
    FestYboy wrote: »
    Oh wow, that's awesome (yes over budget, but...) I wonder if I wait a bit the holidays may bring the price down??

    mrbiron wrote: »
    Doubtful. I owned one for a while and it was a great piece. I look every week, because I want another, but haven't found one under $400 used yet...


    Here's a 5 month old Sprout $395 + 12.38 shipping, no bids, 21 hours to the end of the auction.

    ebay.com/itm/PS-Audio-Sprout-Integrated-Amp-Only-5-months-old-/192304075245?hash=item2cc63751ed:g:of8AAOSwgKpZtsni

    No biding wars between you two....
    "Make a man a fire and he'll be warm for a day. Light
    a man on fire and he'll be warm for the rest of his life."

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  • FestYboy
    FestYboy Posts: 3,861
    edited September 2017
    Haha thanks, and it's right up the road from me...
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  • marvda1
    marvda1 Posts: 4,901
    http://www.musicalparadise.ca/store/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=54
    Amplifiers: Norma IPA 140, MasterSound Compact 845, Ayre v6xe, Consonance Cyber 800
    Preamp: deHavilland Ultraverve 3
    Dac: Sonnet Morpheus 2, Musical Paradise mp-d2 mkIII
    Transport: Jay's Audio CDT2 mk2, Lumin U1 mini
    Speakers: Rosso Fiorentino Volterra II
    Speaker Cables: Crystal Clear Magnum Opus 2, Organic Audio Organic Reference 2
    Interconnects: Crystal Clear Magnum Opus 2, Argento Organic Reference 2, Argento Organic 2
    Power Cables: Argento Organic Reference, Synergistic Research Foundation 10 and 12 ga.
    Digital cables: Crystal Clear Magnum Opus 2 bnc, Tellurium Q aes, Silnote Audio Poseidon Signature 2 bnc
    Puritan PSM156
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  • FestYboy
    FestYboy Posts: 3,861
    I have the previous generation of that amp and love it. Always had a fondness for NAD.
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  • FestYboy
    FestYboy Posts: 3,861
    Yeah, NAD's headroom is constantly amazing.
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