I ended up with an Allnic T2000 30th anniversary which is above your budget but really good. I was considering the Willsenton R800i 300b 845 which appears to be a fairly good value and solid option for a 2nd system. Might be an option to the Line Magnetic 845.
126 responses Add your response
As 845's are regularly being discussed. I will add a recollection of a conversation had with the designer/builder who I have developed a friendship with that is now close to 30 years when first meeting. Approx' 20 years ago, at the time of selecting the second Valve Design to be pursued, the following was touched on as a forewarning. " The Voltages being dealt with are 1200V, this type of Voltage demands a lot of respect, and the use of and the placing of the Amp's will need careful consideration". I am the guardian the Amp's when in use, and will be quite strong about what can/can't happen in the room they are used. Children are now grown up, and now the Grandchildren are inquisitive as well as playful and can easily make a mistake in the company of such a fragile device. " If this is the Tube to be used, the Chassis will need to be a certain dimension for thermal control, as a lot of heat is being generated." My Power Amp's Monoblock Output Chassis dimensions are 20" x 20" x 8" (500mm x 500mm x 200mm). The Power Supplies Chassis are close to the above dimensions. The Output Modules seated at a height of 20" from the floor and are in free space with the closest material being a wall at 1' ft away, the next closest material is 2' ft from the Amp's. The methods chosen above have never deterred me in any way, it is part of the discipline developed to express a 'vigilant attitude' to making sure others are aware of the fragility of the Tubes and the need for keeping the 'Tubes intact'. The other requirement has been the need to maintain being 'observant' of the Tubes when 'powered on' and 'in use'. I have stated in the past and see no reason to change the approach, Tubes are great to experience in their various uses. I have Valve Phon's, Valve DAC, Valve Pre', Valve Power Amp's, the usage suits all my needs for sound quality. The user of Tubes are in possession of a device that is for the best, when powered on 'not forgotten', observation of the device with tubes whilst being used and after a period of power off, is a good discipline to cultivate. |
@pindac good post, very much agree. |
So many options out there... I ended up with the Rogers Hi Fidelity integrated for way under $6K !!! It's a SET AMP, Class A, can replace between KT88 and EL34's auto bias. Low power though, like no more than 10 wpc... My other choice would have been something from Cayin or Line Magnetic but decided to go with something made in the USA. Lately, Vincent (hybrid) has been getting great reviews too. GOOD LUCK !!! |
@gregjacob Simple, go for the " LTA Ultralinear+" as you originally intended - it's still a top option. Scratch that itch "Finally", it's not in stone after all. Get that "Maybe" out of your head so simply try it out yourself now that you have the opportunity, more so if there's a possibility of "regret". You can simply easily sell it for something else if unsatisfied. |
@jonwolfpell will do - Harbeth 30.2XD (85 dB) and 2 REL T/9x. Going from 30wpc to over 100 should be fun. I should have it by May 11 |
atmasphereIn my experience, there is a spacious dimensionality in high-quality tube amps that I never quite hear in SS amps of the same caliber / price range. Texture and tone, particularly in acoustic and wood instruments. Also, the assured warmth without loss of lucid definition. And today's good tubes don't suffer from labels such as "slow," "tubey" or from any background hiss. Certainly, SS is easier to manage at all the points we all know... I went from British SS amps to tube amps a while back, and it's hard to go back. But I'm always listening for good SS as well... Recommendations? |
@jonwolfpell Just fired up the Rogers High Fidelity EHF-200 MK2. WOW. And THANK YOU! You can get some sleep now:) Out of the gate I installed some NOS Telefunken EF86 tubes (Roger said don't waste money on expensive 12AX7s so I didn't). So I expect the sound to get even better. But the head room is pretty much unlimited now. |
https://www.manley.com/hifi/mahi EL84 based mono blocks. Sweet, quick and dynamic. There is a pair at bigearstereo.com for not much. 4K used. Best of luck with your search. |
@gregjacob There are class D amps now that fit that bill. |
Someone above asked about modifying a Primaluna amp. I have personally done that. This is just my humble opinion so take it just as that. I owned a PL Dialogue HP Integrated. That was their "high power" offering that could run 8 KT150s. The build quality is excellent. Parts quality is very very good. Compared to many of the legacy brands (you fill in the blank), it's really a higher quality build. It's very hard to beat a PL at its price point for reliability, durability, feature set, etc. I feel almost dirty offering any criticism of their amps because I think they changed the market--for the better. I modified my amp by going after all of the film caps. They were of decent quality, but not as good as other caps that I have heard and worked with (VCap, Clarity Cap, Audyn, etc.). My mission was to add a little nuance and finesse to that beast of an amp. And yes, I tube rolled to my heart's content and bank account's dismay. [As I no longer own the PL, I'm sitting on a stockpile of 12au7s--the amp took 6)]. The biggest hurdle in modifications of a PL is space. This is a busy amp inside that chassis. It's packed in there. I was definitely able to change the sound slightly more to my liking--adding more clarity and air on top, and fleshing out the bass a bit more. I really couldn't seem to get the midrange to make me smile. Overall, a wonderful amp and tweaked it was more so. PL uses a good hunk of PCBs for discrete purposes--auto bias, some sort of protection circuit, etc. There is a good bit of point to point wiring inside and it was executed perfectly. I nerd out on well assembled gear and it certainly fit the bill. There are a handful of recommendations for Line Magnetic above. I own a Willsenton R800 805 amp, which is likely built in the same factory as Line Magnetic. For $2800 shipped to my door in 96 hours, including fees/customs, etc., it's an amazing buy. Here's what you get (for good or bad, mostly great):
If you're on the fence about where to land next, I'd see if you could pick one of these up used for say $1800 - $2200/. This is a statement amp. I, along with others smarter, think it will be difficult for Willsenton to make money in the long run as even with less expensive labor costs this amp is not inexpensive to make regardless of where it is made. If you could find a used Line Magnetic of the same topology that would be a great find too. I also own an Elekit 300B, maxed out with Lundhaul transformers, high end caps, and resistors. It's very clear sounding. I just need a little more wattage for headroom than a 300B can provide. Nice amp. No remote, which is tough for me. Great thread and comments. I love when I listen/read and learn here, without the negativity. Keep 'em coming!
|
This is not factual. @upscaleaudio would you care to comment? https://www.primaluna-usa.com/about
tsugury246 posts Prima Luna is made by Cayin. I also have a Cayin KT88 which I am extremly happy with. |
@recklesskelly , I have never been to the Cayin or Primaluna factories/factory, but like tsugury, I have heard the same thing from industry folks. If true, it does not mean it is a bad thing. Some factories make multiple brands. Primaluna and Cayin are both fantastically well built machines. |
Lots of misinformation about PrimaLuna using circuit boards in the signal path here.
”PrimaLuna employs Point to Point Wiring on all products. The entire signal path, including resistors and capacitors, is painstakingly hand wired with heavy-gauge cable by craftsman.” https://www.primaluna-usa.com/primaluna-evo-400-tube-integrated
|
"In my experience, there is a spacious dimensionality in high-quality tube amps that I never quite hear in SS amps of the same caliber / price range. Texture and tone, particularly in acoustic and wood instruments. Also, the assured warmth without loss of lucid definition. And today’s good tubes don’t suffer from labels such as "slow," "tubey" or from any background hiss. Certainly, SS is easier to manage at all the points we all know... I went from British SS amps to tube amps a while back, and it’s hard to go back. But I’m always listening for good SS as well... Recommendations?" I generally agree but there are exceptions. You should hear Bakoon amps.They are incredibly 3D sounding Class A/B. I have owned and used some pretty decent SETs and other tube amps and the Bakoons at least match them for deep layered soundstage and ambience.
|
Cayin Class A I have Cayin A88T, couldn’t be happier. Terrific build quality Yes I own one too.They are OK...ish.Much better with EL34s than KT88s.A They are somewhere between 2d and 3D sounding.About 2.2 with KT88 s and maybe 2.5 with EL34s in Triode mode.Too much negative feedback is my hunch.I think they are decent value but nothing special .My 54 year old Australian made Trimax EL34 Mullard 520 design monoblocks are much better . |
Got to this post now. Almost a year after it started. Have been looking for a tube amp for some time. Recently purchased a Audio Note P2SE, love it. Old- 1997- surprising works super well. I didn't know I was buying a 1997 one - and am glad I didn't- if I did, I would not have. I also auditioned at home another Audio Note- Cobra Integrated. Amazing. I also have a hybrid Vincent SV200- love that. Still on the look out for one more. It was interesting reading so many great choices from people. I made a list which I will look out for in my travels. Audio Hungary Qualiton Jadis Linear Tube Audio Z40+ LTA Ultralinear + Line Magnetic 8051A Aric Audio Transcend Push Pull Synthesis A100, A40 Cayin A88T Valhalla Raven Bob Carver Apollo Audio Lab 12 |
