Oops, in my previous post, I meant to say Dyna ST35 reissue instead of EL84 Dyna mkII as my second favorite amp when I attended that audio show many years back. That is a great sounding amp.
Anyone else constantly curious about amps?
I'll start of by saying I have a really great sounding amp, the Mastersound Dueventi. It's a class-A tube amp running in PSET putting out 20 watts of power, which proves to be plenty in my room. I have other audio upgrades that would be more valuable. I've slowly been replacing cables, a new streamer would probably have the biggest impact in my system next, I'd like a new turntable now that I've stepped up my cartridge and phonostage...
But I just keep coming back to amps. For some reason I just feel a need to bring in something new. I can't afford it. It won't be the most high impact in my system. I don't really have anywhere to demo several of these options. But still, I've been on a two week long rabbit hole exploring solid state class A options like Pass and Sugden. I heard a top in system this past weekend with Jeff Rowland driving the system and I forgot how great those can sound, so I'm finding myself looking at their integrated. I know Norma amps sound amazing with my speakers, so I'm always tempted to bump that up the priority list.
Someone talk me off the ledge and help me with this sickness!
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A pet project of mine is the restoration of a Nobles NS-130 amp. I've had two of these in the past (in much better shape). This one is going to get a complete rebuild after I take it completely apart to refinish the chassis. Of all the EL84-based amps from the 1950s/60s, this one is arguably the best. This is the best image I could find online in a quick search. The socket on the left is for the 5AR4 rectifier tube. Each channel is housed in its own removable module. |
I was constantly curious about amplifiers until I found the right one. They all sounded so different. I heard what I liked in amp “A” but wanted more power. A more powerful model of the same make was not the answer and it sent me down the rabbit hole until success at last. The idea of setting qualifications up front made it more difficult to find the right one but easier to know when you crossed the finish line. |
@voltaicq I think I may have overstated the can't afford it element. I can't afford it at the moment, but I probably can afford it in 6-18 months if I focus on saving. I think the real element is I can't afford to change the amp AND make other changes in my system really would be of more benefit. And the core thing I was trying is that amps constantly capture my curiosity, even though I am happy with my existing amp. I'm not one to collect a lot of equipment. I like to have one system that has all my resources put into it. But I have a feeling I may become the type of person that ends up with 2-3 amps over the years because I am constantly curious about trying new amps more than other piece in the system. |
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