I Have a Dream...

Early B.

Well, Max was my hero until he decided to try out an amp other than a Jolida. So now I'm considering trying somethin' new, too, but it'll take me some time to save up for it. But first, I need to create a vision for the future. Here's what I want --

1) a full tube integrated amp (no hybrids) that represents an upgrade to my Jolida 502A modded amp for less than $2000 new or used.

(I'd like to stick with an integrated for practical purposes -- if I get separates I'll want to "upgrade" the amp or pre every 6 months. Not a good thing. However, I can be convinced otherwise.)

2) aesthetics -- gotta pass the WAF's pretty test (she likes the Jolida); the tubes gotta be visible.

3) simple, elegant, no frills, no phono section, but sub outs would be nice.

4) decent power -- 50 to 75 wpc.

5) ability to get custom made or made-to-order a plus

6) self-biasing a plus


Any ideas or suggestions for which amp I should consider?

Or should I quit while I'm ahead? Have I already reached the point of diminishing returns? Will I need to upgrade my speakers, too, to get the maximum benefit from a better amp? Or am I just plain crazy for following in Max's footsteps? :eek:

HBombToo

http://www.stereophile.com/amplificationreviews/205prima/index.html

This little amp has stuck in my mind since it was published.

HBomb

madmax

One word... TungSol. That will keep you giddy for over a year, I promise you.
madmax

steveinaz

The primaLunas look very cool, I've been drooling over the Preamp for months...just can't let go of my MF.

BlueMDPicker

4.5 of 6 stars

It doesn't meet your power requirements but, from what I've read, you'd never know the difference. Eastern Electric M520 Integrated.

audiobliss

That's definitely a beauty.

$1800
# Full function remote control.
# Class A operation (best sounding configuartion)
# Pentode/UL convertion (gives different power and tonalities)
# Negative Feedback Adjust (3 leves you can choose for different damping factors for best match of your speakers)
# Mute
# Tape loop (it is the output paralleled to the input source that you can connect your tape deck or MD deck for recording or you can send signal from this output for your sub woofer)

However, it doesn't state on the website what its output is (at least not that I've found).

HBombToo

its probably around 20 watts... She sure is pretty!

Strong Bad

I love how this one looks.

http://stereophile.com/tubepreamps/204cary/



John

Strong Bad

Sorry, didn't mean to hijack an AMP thread with a PREAMP link. Too sexy to let it go unseen!

Early B.

john d. strong wrote:

I love how this one looks.

http://stereophile.com/tubepreamps/204cary/

That's a preamp. I'm looking for an integrated amp.

However, I've always admired the look of Cary amps, but since I've never heard one, I'm not sure how good they are. I've heard more than once that they are overpriced, but I'd like to get some direct experience with them.

Early B.

BlueMDPicker wrote:

4.5 of 6 stars

It doesn't meet your power requirements but, from what I've read, you'd never know the difference. Eastern Electric M520 Integrated.

I love to see it with her guts exposed. For the price, I gotta check the quality of the parts.

Early B.

madmax wrote:

One word... TungSol. That will keep you giddy for over a year, I promise you.
madmax

Dammit, Max. If you mention those ****&#!! Tungsols to me again, I'm gonna punch you in your forehead. :eek:

Tell you what I'm gonna do -- Over the next couple of months you're gonna be so busy with your McAlister gear that you will neglect your Jolida. So just send me those TungSols and let me try them out. If I like 'em, I'll keep them and buy you a new quad. If not, I'll pack them up very nicely and send them back to you. You won't even miss them.

madmax

Early B. wrote:

So just send me those TungSols and let me try them out. If I like 'em, I'll keep them and buy you a new quad..

No way. Do you know how crappy they sounded before they broke in? I just can't put myself through that unnecesarily.

madmax

Edit: Out of a scale of 1 to 10 these tubes brought my system up from a 5 to a 9. You won't know what you're selling unless you try them.

beardog03

Cary SLI-80 integrated...

F1nut

+1 on the Cary

Early B.

OK, I'll put the Cary at the top of the list. They come up on audiogon frequently.

The question is -- whether the stock model or signature edition sounds a lot better than a modded Jolida (with Tungsols)?

LuSh

I did a ton of research over the last 3 months. I had two roads I could travel. Tubes and friendly speakers, or SS and lower efficency design. I just sold my SimAudio over the weekend and completed a deal on a Krell 400xi intergrated and I'll be getting it this week.

My orginal plan for a long time though was to get a set of Reference 3a MM DeCapo's and mate it with a tube intergrated. I asked a number of people who I really really respect, and oddly enough they all said the same intergrated back to me. A VAC Avatar. This unique intergrated is quite large, and has decent power. It's unique in that it has a home theatre by-pass loop. Many I talked to consider it one of the best Intergrateds in the world regardless of price. You could pick one up used within your price bracket.

Early B.

Thanks, Lush. That VAC has got me salivatin'. The tubes don't show, but I like the look of it. Weighs 61 lbs.!!!

I read some of the consumer reviews and couple of them replaced their Jolidas with the VAC and never looked back. One of them had a modded Jolida.

LuSh

I saw one on sale on gon not too long ago, and then again on audioeden.com I was even considering using them with lower efficiency speakers like my Polks, Dynaudio's or Aerial Acoustics but opted for a rockin out amp like the Krell.

But i bet if I ever get into tubes, that's the first place i'll look. They even have a Super Avatar now for $28k.

cmy330go

I don't have a ton of experience with tube gear, but I am VERY pleased with my Sound Quest SQ-88. It is a very simple design like you requested. No sub or pre outs just 3 inputs. Remote for volume. Self Biasing. Rated at 55W. Good candidate for tube rolling. Retails for $1479 but I was able to get mine for around $1200 shipped.

I run LSi9s which we all know can be a tough load, and I am quite satisfied with the sound. This is probably the first time I have had a piece of gear that I didn't have an immediate desire to upgrade.

If you have technical questions about the amp don't hesitate to call Stephen Monte at Quest for Sound (link above). He is the owner of Sound Quest, and the designer of the amp. He is very friendly, informative, and a great guy to deal with.

EDIT: If this amp interest you at all I'd be happy to take some better pictures of it for you.

Happy Hunting!

madmax

If you dump that cheesy 502 of yours give me the offer first... No promises.
madmax

Early B.

madmax wrote:

If you dump that cheesy 502 of yours give me the offer first... No promises.
madmax

Will do. My decision partly hinges on your McAlister review. When is that supply expected to arrive? What about the Mcpre?

madmax

I'm guessing the supply will be in the system next week sometime. The pre shouldn't be too far off either. The McAlister is not a piece of artwork, it looks more industrial. Imagine a high powered radio station transmitter or something. I doubt it will have a huge WAF if she is thinking of something like Cary or whatever. This looks like a manly mans amp! All business...

madmax

madmax

Just got to thinking, you got a great amp already, why not try a pair of SDA's? Any of them would do.
madmax

Early B.

madmax wrote:

Just got to thinking, you got a great amp already, why not try a pair of SDA's? Any of them would do.
madmax

Gotta have bookshelf speakers 'cuz of my room configuration and WAF. I prefer bookshelves with a sub anyways, esp. due to very limited placement options in my living room. One day, I placed my Soliloquy 5.3's in the living room and the Norhs sounded much better. I'd love to try out some other speaker options; the Tyler Acoustic reference monitors are at the top of the list. I like knowing the exact components used in the speaker, and Tyler uses very high quality stuff. Lots of other possibilities, too. Before I do anything, I need to go to a high end audio store, carry a few of my favorite CDs with me, and listen to them on their best gear. I want to hear what I'm missing (or not).

madmax

The CRS+ is one heck of a great book shelf speaker...
madmax