I greatly prefer a good single malt, hopefully an isle of Islay, to Welch's and ethanol.
At least I think I do.
I've never tried the latter.
At least I think I do.
I've never tried the latter.
Budget Tube Amp (newbie)
+1 for the Rogue . Also for Dynaco , but I’d opt for the Bob Latino ST-120. This amp will handle KT-120’s , but you won’t need that much power . Between Rogue , Dynaco , or whatever , run NOS driver and modern power tubes . Also your Yamaha has Pre Outs. With just an extra pair of RCA’s you could place a tube amp on the Yamaha and still use your phono input and tone controls . I did this with a vintage Marantz receiver ahead of a pair of Dynakit MK III’s. Worked fairly well , but I was just experimenting. Also personally , I’ve enjoyed a quiet SS pre ahead of a tube amp more than a tube pre ahead of a SS amp . However there are many great combinations that way too , just my personal experience. I had the small Advents , not the large . I drove them with a little Dynaco SCA-35 and it was SWEET ! I then turned left and ran JBL L-26’s and ventured down JBL Avenue, never to return to Advent . But the JBL’s are hard and edgy and take tons of power . So don’t go there . Cherish your stuff ( wish I still had mine to enjoy . BTW, I gave 3 old systems to my kids , #1 Sansui 9090/JBL4312/Schiit DAC, #2 Sansui 7070/ Klipsch Heresy II’s/ Schiit DAC, #3 Marantz 2223/Klipsch Kg 1.5’s/ Pioneer PL117 TT. I traded my Dynakit modded MKI III’s for a heavily modded Thorens TD 116 MK II with a Sumiko . And I live with just a 12 WPC Had Inspire 😝. Cheers and happy listening , Mike . |
I'll pile on to the Jolida recommendation. I've used a 502brc (60 watt) for a long time and it sounds great with my Snell Type D (~87db sens.). Has some nice tube warmth but not too much. More than enough power unless you want concert level rock or metal. Basically plug and play, easy to bias. Paid $700 used maybe 10-11 yrs ago. Unfortunately, don't see them around much anymore. |
I recently received a few emails from Roger Modjeski about his RM-10 tube amp. Both the original and Mk.2 versions of the amp are rated at 35 watts/ch, but the first 15 of those watts are produced with the amp operating in Class A. The current version (still identified as Mk.2) is rated at 25 watts/ch, the amp now operating in Class A to full power. So, if a loudspeaker is sensitive enough to draw only 15 watts, the older versions of the amp will be providing it with Class A sound (pun intentional ;-) . |
Read thru this thread and didn't see this anywhere so I thought I'd add my 2c. Old tube amps like the Dynaco generally sound more "syrupy" and warm than good modern tube power amps like the Rogue CM. Old Dynacos, Conrad Johnson, Mac's, Scott's are wonderful for tube warmth but often have tubby bass but good midrange. If that is the sound signature in your mind then old or vintage is more likely your goal. I recently heard an upgraded Dynaco 35. I liked it a lot as I like the old tube sound. Same for a Scott 299c, great but low power. Heard a Rogue. Nice amp only sort of tubey to my ears. 8f you can, maybe try to audition some gear. Btw, I used an old Conrad Johnson pv10 tube preamp with various ss power amps for a couple of years. Got probably 80% of the tube magic for 2 years. Before that a pv5 was even more old school syrupy tube warmth. If your Yamaha allows for a pre that is a good option. |
For a new unit within the budget look at the Muzishare X7 its an integrated , made in the same factory as line magnetic. Can get the upgraded cap version for 1100$ roughly listed on amazon and ebay. Pre owned I'd look at a Rogue Cronus magnum less tubes to replace than some of the other units out there. |
@shutupuface, Here's a ST70 from Bob Latino of VTA. It is an updated/upgraded all new ST-70 with an Attenuator so it doesn't need a preamp if you only have one source The attenuator is an option. I have this amp. It replaced a very highly praised SS amp. I used it for years with a SS preamp and it sounded great. Using it with my new CJ CT5 is even better. He also sells a 60wpc at a higher price but still a bargain. You can get these fully assembled or kit form. http://www.tubes4hifi.com/bob.htm#ST70 |