NAD 302, Yamaha Reciever rxv1092, Krell kav400xi, Krell Evo600 monoblocks. I think I will keep the evo600s for a long, long, time. They are great. |
Since I'm a manufacturer, I've stayed off this thread, but re-reading it- well, I am still an audiophile.
My first amplifier was a Knight Kit KA-95, which was a 35 wpc EL34-based integrated amp. From there I had a variety of Dyna St70s, MkIIIs, HK Citation 1 & 2 (all of which had to be repaired before I could use them). I also ran a Southwest Technical Products Tiger, which was a 100 watt/ch transistor amp, on the woofer section of my speakers (the mid/tweeter section used an EL-34-based Ampex amplifier). Ultimately began building my own amps from surplus chassis and the like in the mid- late 70s. Finally, I wanted my own chassis, drew a picture of it and got the sheet metal made up. That particular amp was a one-off, and it actually came through the shop for minor repair about a year ago. So its survived for 30 years.
These days I'm running a set of MA-1 MkIIIs. |
NAD 4125
Densen Beat
CJ MV52
VAC Avatar
Cary Sixpacs
Quicksilver (6C33C) Triodes |
I started with a hafler dh500,forte model 6, vtl 225 mono's;mccormack dna-1 monos and now cary slam 100's I also have a pair of odyssey mono extreme se's still in boxes. |
crown 300
byston 2b
conrad johnson 75a
electron kinetics eagle 400
balanced audio technology vk200
clayton s40
reference line preeminence one
reference line preeminence one reference
vaic 300b
mcintosh mc40 (stock w/ mullard el37's)
dynaco 70 (stock w/ mullard el34's)
mcintosh mc30 (stock w/ mullard el37's)
hadley 601 (stock w/ philips el34's) |
Over the course of many years, from the mid '80s to the present:
Akai Receiver
Nakamichi Stasis Receiver (still have it!)
Van Alstine Omega III 440HC
Electrocompaniet ECI-4 SE Integrated Amp
Spectron Musician II
Parasound Halo JC-1
ASL Hurricane 200DT
Berning ZH270
Joule Electra VZN-100
Plinius SA-102
Ayre V-5X
BAT VK-600 w/BP
McCormack DNA-500
Conrad Johnson Premiere 350SA
BAT VK-500 w/BP (best of previous 5 SS amps)
Dodd 120 tube monoblocks (still have them, best EL34-based amps I've heard/owned, but available for sale)
VAC Musicblock 160s
Art Audio Quartets (oh yeah, 845 tubes, 50wpc Class A, zero feedback..mmmmmmmmm,mmmmmmmmmm, good!) |
-Harman Kardon Citation 24
-Adcom GFA 555 II
-Muse Model 100
-NAD 314
-Dynaco ST 70
-Bell Stereophonic Tube Integrated
-Parasound HCA 800 MK II
-NAD C272
-McCormack DNA 0.5
-McCormack DNA 225
-McCormack DNA 0.5 Deluxe / Smc Rev B
-Aragon 8002
-Audio Research 100.2
-NAD M3
-Audio Research VT100MKII
-Pass Labs X250.5 |
Looking for help finding schematic for my muse 300 11 mono blocks. |
NAD 2100X
Rogue Audio Magnum 88
Simaudio I7 |
started with this hobby over 30 years ago
Kenwood integrated
SAE 200
Dynaco 70
Pioneer integrated
BGW 750
Hitachi receiver
Muse 100
Sumo gold
Stax Dm 100 monoblock
Krell KSA 200B
Bryston 4B
Bryston 4B-ST
Bryston 7B-ST
KR audio Antares 300
Tom Evans Linear A |
Nikko Reciever w/Baby Advent spkrs
non-descript Sony CD player
many years pass
Classe CP-35, Classe CA-100, W/Hales Concept 2 spkrs
Not so many years pass
Add 2nd CA-100 and run as monoblocks
Add CAL CL-10
Again years pass
put toghether 2nd system for other room
Jolida JD1501 w/ Totem Arros
a couple of months pass
Selling the Classe stuff, keeping the Hales
I really am taken with the Integrated set up of the Jolida tube pre-ss amp
But where to go next?
what will sound good with the Hales?...
Jolida 502b?
Manley Stingray?
Rogue Tempest II?
VTL IT-85?
Suggestions? |
Old Montgomery Ward Receiver(sold to a second hand store)
2 Sony Receivers(sold one to a friend and another gave to folks)
Ead Powermaster 1000(sold on here)
Ead Powermaster 2000(current amp)
Bought this amp without hearing it for 2 channel first and ht as a bonus. Mated with my old ead theatermaster 5.1 signature (soon to have Boelen mods) it has brought me nothing but sonic bliss. Love how the combo draws you into listening to music for hours and hours. |
Various, nothing meaningful or that I can even remember
Adcom 565 monos (1994)wow what an upgrade
Golden Tube SE 40 monos - my first tubes
Denison HT Receiver (fall 2006) - move to HT/rejoin the hobby
B&K 507 S2 HT Receiver
Conrad Johnson MF5600 (5 channel) to run mains, center & 2nd zone
Pass Labs X150.5 (to run mains) center/rear/2nd zone to CJ
CI 200 digital amps (auditioned several), got that digital amp junk out of my system and couldn't find what everybody was talking about!
Mark Levinson 331.5 (still own and love, my summer amp)
Krell KAV 1500 (big, typical 5-channel amp weaknesses)
Theta Dreadnaught II (big, typical 5-channel amp weaknesses)
BAT VK-60 factory monoblocks - my winter amps, still own and love
Proceed BPA 3 (used for center channel and rears for my very low demanding HT needs for which it does a fine job)
It has been 12 months now since I got back into this hobby and I have been fortunate enough to try a couple of other amps mixed in with these that I did not own/purchase but borrowed from others. I feel pretty content with my system and actually like the fact that I have to change amps when the seasons change as it gives me half the year to enjoy tubes and half the year to enjoy SS.
I have learned that even after buying some of the highest rated 5-channel amps (Theta Dreadnaught II for example) and having a couple of others, that I have come to the conclussion that a 5-channel amp cannot perform at the same level as a dedicated 2-channel or mono amp can (of relatively similar price points). I have also come to the conclussion that I prefer a stand alone HT processor and for my needs one that is a couple of years old (ie. about 10-20% of its new price, as my demands for HT are low) combined with a good stereo pre-amp that offers either unity gain or an HT pass through. |
Lets see if I can remember that far...
Lafayette criterion receivers
Pioneer qx-949
Dunlap Clarke Dreadnaught 500
Yamaha B-2
Adcom GFA-5300
Hafler SE-120
Hafler SE-240(2)
Hafler Dh-500(3)
Hafler XL-600 |
Sony receiver
NAD 40 watt
Carver m400?
Carver m500
Rotel 980bx
Conrad Johnson MF2500
Creek integrated
McCormack DNA 0.5
MCCormack DNA 1
Nuforce Ref 8.5
Upgraded to
Nuforce Ref 9 V2 |
Harman Kardon avr15
Harman Kardon avr25
Carver av405
Carver tfm-55x
Chiro-300
Aragon 2004 mkII
Aragon 4004 mkII
Aragon 8008BB
B&K 220M mono-blocs
Mark Levinson 434 mono-blocs
Odyssey Extreme S.E. mono-blocs |
Kenwood (rack system)load
Carver, I forget the exact model
Forte'model 3
Mark Levinson 331 |
Wow ,where do I start.it was so long ago i'm sure i I am missing one or two but here goes.
Webcor all in one
Philco console (with a bar set up instead of TV)
Nikko receiver
THEN IT BEGAN
Marantz 2230
Phase Linear 400
Hafler 400
PSE ???
Mark Levinson 50 watt
Spectral 50 watt
ARC 115 or was it a 125
VAC 90C
Mark Levinson 335
deHaviland Aries 845G This is the KEEPER |
Lets see starting back some 30 years ago...
1978 - Radio Shack Realistic Receiver
1982 - Yamaha Integrated Amp (served me well during college)
1985 - NAD Receiver
1988 - Bryston 4D Power Amp (still in my closet)
2000 - Musical Fidelity A300 CR Dual Mono (just a killer amp)
2004 - Arcam AV300 Receiver (Home Theater)
2007 - McIntosh MC275 x 2 (loving tubes)
2008 - maybe AR Reference 110? |
1976- Pioneer POC Receiver
1983- NAD Integrated Model Whatever
1988- Naim Nait 2
1989- Linn LK 280/Spark (tweetie-spark)
1990- Linn Klout
1992- Linn Klout x 3 via active crossover
2003- Pathos Logos
2007- Eastern Electric 520 with NOS tubes (now in office)
2007- Fisher 400X receiver - (also in office)
2007- Consonance Audio M800
2007- Hammond Organ Chassis 45 tube custom made
2007- Western Electric Gotham Model 39 monoblocks
2008- perhaps something driven by 76 triodes
2009- Wavac SH-833 (I am saving by pennies) |
It's interesting to see how many of us got into audio around the same time! My evolution... (the dates are my best guess).
1977 - Poineer SX-650 reciever
1980 - JVC reciever (don't recall the model ~35Wpc)
1981 - Yamaha integrated
1982 - NAD 3020 integrated
1982 - Hafler DH200 (this was a kit)
1984 - Musical Fidelity integrated (sweet little class A)
1990 - Acurus DIA 100 integrated - still own
2004 - McCormack DNA 0.5 - still own
2006 - Conrad Johnson Premier 11A - still own
2007 - BAT VK-60 - still own
2008 - ??? |
I don't think I can remember them all but I remember my very first acquisitions quite well:
1973 - Pioneer 25-watt receiver.
1976 - Pioneer 50-watt receiver.
1978 - Yamaha M4 and C4 separates.
Law School 1981-84 - went back to Pioneer 25-watt receiver.
1984 - Kyocera receiver to match new Kyocera CD player.
Later in the 80's - Rotel amp and preamp, followed by British Fidelity A-370 amp and MVP preamp, then ARC D-300, followed by Goldmund Mimesis 29 and Ayre V3, finally replaced circa 1999 by my current ARC VT-100 Mk III which is a keeper. |
Started w/a Lafayette receiver/ pair of 8"2-ways and a Duel 1209tt w/Empire cart!
Kept TT and replaced w/ Pioneer SX727 and a pair of 10"3-way Fisher speakers.
Still kept the TT and ended up w/a Kenwood KA-7100 and a pair of Rogersound Lab JBL 4311 copies.
Somewhere in here, I added the Original Magnevox CD101 by Philips. I still have this, but needing repair.
I converted the Kenwood to a preamp only, adding a Carver cube to the Magnepan MG-1's I traded up for from the RSLs!
Junking out the TT in favor of CDs, I than gave the Kenwood away and traded up to a NAD1700 tuner preamp to drive the cube and Maggies.
Cube died and was replaced by a Rotel. CD player replaced by an OPPO DV981.
Other stuff thru the years include AT LEAST 4 reel-2-reel of which I still have the Tandberg 3000x,
Maggies swapped for MG 1.6s and a new integrated is on the horizon...maybe the PSAudio GCC250.
What a trip. |
Rotel 1080 nice but it kept blowing out a channel
Parasound A21 very nice with a little warmth
Pass Labs XA 160 not quite my cup of tea
Ayre MX-R...hopefully done for now!!!!! |
Pioneer Receiver >
Onkyo Integra Receiver >
Sony TA-N9000ES >
Rotel RMB 1066 >
Bryston 5B ST >
Bryston 3B ST >
Sun Audio SV-2a3 / JE Labs 300b / JE Labs 45 >
Lamm ML2.1 |
1) Sansui (integrated, can't remember the model designation)
2) Luxman L410 (integrated)
3) Audio Exclusiv P2 (pre) + Luxman M363 (power)
4) The P2, an award collector in the early 80s, was the first used gear I bought; impressively as its musical performance was - especially phono - , it soon showed it had really been used ("worn" rather) and needed to be replaced by: T+A P1200R (pre) + Clearaudio Basic (phono)
5) Thereafter I ventured into surround and replaced the Luxman M363 by T+A A1520 (2 channel power) + T+A DD1510 (decoder + 3 channel power amp)
6) Replaced the T+A 1200P by T+A 1230P (huge change)
7) Replaced the Clearaudio Basic by Quad P24 (tube phono)
8) Dropped surround altogether and replaced everything by Tidal Preos (pre including phono) + Tidal Intra (power)
second system
1) Unison Research Unico SE (hybrid integrated)
2) Unison Research S2K (single ended, class A tube integrated) |
Sansui model 400 receiver
Marantz model 1120 int. amp
Pioneer Spec 2 amp
Marantz 2330 receiver
Marantz 1250 int. amp
Phase Linear 700 Series II amp
Pass Labs X250
Used the 1250 as a preamp with the Phase Linear. For some odd reason I decided to get a nice preamp (Classe DR-5) to use with the Phase Linear. I wasn't prepared for the drastic improvement! Then I had to see how it sounded with a nicer amp (Pass Labs X250), so then I had to.... you know the rest.... |
Musting be getting a bit senile. I'd have to do research for some of the model numbers. Anyhoo here's the list (integrated where indicated)
1977-78 Sansui Model ? (little integrated guy)
1978-85 Onkyo A-10 (integrated)
1985-86 Harmon Kardon (SS)
1987-90 Denon (SS)
1999-92 Dynaco ST70i (Van Alstine Mod)
1993 harmon Kardon HK II
1994-2007 Van Alstine Omega 230 (SS)
12/07- present BAT VK-60 |
Gosh, I went from:
Pioneer silver face reciever to:
Adcom GFA-5500 to:
Kinergetics Chiro C200 to:
McIntosh Mc 250 to:
Musical Design D75 in stereo and then monoblocked to:
Lazarus H-1A hyrid to:
Altec/Dynaco trannied 6550 OT monoblocks to:
Berning EA-230 in stereo then mono to:
Berning EA-2101 to:
McIntosh Mc40 monoblocks to:
Bottlhead Paramour 2A3 monoblocks to:
vintage Ampex and Gott monoblocks to:
McIntosh Mc275 MKIV to:
Bel Canto SET40 monoblocks "Orpheos"
McIntosh Mc240 to
Red Wine Audio chimp amp to:
Moscode 300 in stereo and them in mon to:
Pilot 246B el84, Pilot 245-A and 240
i know I dont remember some, ! |
Wow some great collections there.
I started with a Pioneer amp when I was about 15, it was about 20wpc from memory.
Followed this with a Technics 40wpc amp with needle power meters on the front.
Can't remember model numbers for either of these.
Moved up a bit and bought a Luxman L215 over 20 years ago.
The Luxman blew after many years of service so I replaced it with a Rotel RA980BX bought at a reasonable price off EBay.
However, the bug had bitten and while all the above were second hand I decided it was time for a new amp.
Last year I replaced my ancient Rectilinear speakers and a week ago I bought my first valve amp: a Melody I34 which is the new model with a remote.
Must say I'm very happy with the new amp, a definite step up, but it has been quite a ride for many years.
DS |
I posted in 2002 and updated in 2004 and it is time for another update.
2002 post:
Technics integrated -- approx. 1986
Denon PMA 300V int. -- late 80's
Heath amp -- late 80's or 1990
Forte Model 6 -- 1991
Meridian 557 -- 1997
Mark Levinson No.383 int. -- 2000
Moscode 300 (modified) -- 2001
Mark Levinson No.383 int. -- 3/2002
2004 post:
Innersound ESL -- 2/2003
Bat Vk-200 -- 2/2003
Jeff Rowland Concentra II -- 6/2003
Pass X150.5 -- 12/2003
Since then:
Classe CA2200 -- 8/2004
Musical Fidelity kW500 (integrated) -- 4/2005
McIntosh MA2275 (integrated) -- 1/2006
McIntosh MC402 -- 5/2006
* Tried a Jeff Rowland Concentra II again in 11/2006, but much prefered the MC402, which I still use. |
1. Yamaha receiver (don't remember the model, but it was the first year Yamaha used a "digital" tuner")
2. NAD 3140 PE
3. Arcam Delta 90
4. Rogue Audio Cronus |
Yamaha Reciever
AUDIOPHILE BUG
Arcam Alpha One Integrated(35 wpc)
Arcam Alpha Seven Integrated(45 wpc, needed the remote)
Bryston 3B ST (150 wpc)
McIntosh MC402 (400 wpc) |
Very slow and slight evolution for me.
Pioneer SX3600 receiver
NAD 3080 (out of a friends garbage can)
NAD 2150
NAD 3150
hiatus of 4 years then entry into HT
Marantz monoblocks (5)
Carver TFM15CB for rears
NAD 2700 THX (still have and love)
Adcom 5503
Rotel 1095 (current HT amp)
NAD 7000 receiver (current living room system)
What can I say; i love the sound of NAD equipment |
It is interesting that many of us started with a Pioneer receiver (or at least had at one point one early on.) I remember reading Stereo Review and being inundated by the ads for Pioneer that made them look like the cat's pajamas. When I went to Hillcrsst High Fidelity and walked past the McIntosh Audition Room after gawking at the seductive blue glow of the monster components that I saw in the living rooms of some of my rich friends (where they sat virtually unused, but off limits to our sticky hands.) There on the wall stack high with receivers sat a new line - "Sony." The salesman gave a hard sell on the Sony, but I wanted the well-marketed Pioneer. A concentration camp surviving cello-playing academic colleague of my father warned "they are pushing Sony equipment - don't trust them, that stuff is made in Japan." (Like Pioneer wasn't?)
I put together a complete Pioneer system using all the money I earned on my $1.50/hr summer job stocking shelves, slicing watermelons, waxing apples, and bagging grocks in Ryder's Grocery in Estes Park Colorado upwards of 72hrs a week. The 3 months of weary labor under the irritable eye of the owner of poorly accessible and easy-to-drive-right-by=without-noticing family-owned grocery store in a tourist town full of barefoot campers and hikers .
It was all worth it when I got the system home and cued up the first LP that I ever owned - Jethro Tull's Living in the Pat that I got for $2 from a cut-out bin at Walgreen's (I still remember my mother saying "why are you wasting your money on *that*?) - then I played my other *first* record - Itzahk Perlman's Paganini Caprices. I remember thinking "is that what a Strad really sounds like? or is he playing a cheesebox strung with hand-dried cat-gut?"
But I was in music heaven. It sounded so much better than my parent's no-name console that they picked up at the Dallas Train Wreck Salvage (that was the actual name of the warehouse store that was filled with deeply discounted cracked, dented, and broken items. I feel fortunate to have survived a childhood feed by badly bent and dented cans of food. My mother used to say, "don't worry, the can will swell up if it is contaminated by Botulism so I think this one is OK. Just make sure you let me know if your jaw begins to lock up."
Music was so much enjoyable when it provided a brief respite from the childhood fears of razor-blade ridden Halloween apples, practicing surviving nuclear attack by cowering under desks during air-raid drills, dental fillings performed without novocaine by our WWI era dentist who had a faded and yellowed "50 years of Dental Practice" certificate on his wall, and the near constant vigilance for Lock-jaw.
It is sort of a strange evolution that I now constantly search for better and more refined sound in order to capture the immense joy of discovery that early equipment provided.
I am coming to realize that it isn't that the POC Pioneer receiver sounded good. I believe that I used to *listen* better. I enjoyed cassettes recorded off-the-air played back on a $20 portable panasonic tape recorder placed on the seat next to me as I drove my parents Galaxy 500 station wagon. Perhaps it is about nostalgia, desire to regain innocence lost, a search for the lost idealism of youth...
So perhaps this amp evolution is driven by an attempt to chase down, and maybe even overcome, the creeping evolution of our jaded ears. |
-Yamaha receiver
-Nikko stereo
-Yamaha intergrated
-PS Audio Delta 250 stereo
-Levison 335 stereo
-Levinson 33H monoblocks |
Pioneer 626 receiver, Sansui whatever, Hafler dh200, son of Ampzilla, Audiosource tripath, homemade Hypex UcD 400. I still have all the amps but the sansui, I don't know why. |
Denon 3805 receiver
Bryston 4BST
Krell Theater Amplifier Standard
Sunfire Signature 600
Cary CAD 500MB
Dodd 120's
Moscode 401HR
VAC PHi 300.1
VAC Phi 300.1 Monoblock's (coming in March) |
Sony receiver
NAD 40 watt
Carver m400?
Carver m500
Rotel 980bx
Conrad Johnson MF2500
Creek integrated
McCormack DNA 0.5
MCCormack DNA 1
Nuforce Ref 8.5
Upgraded to
Nuforce Ref 9 V2
PS Audio HCA 2
Belles 150A Reference (this is the amp I've been waiting for!) |
Thought I might as well update my last post since 2004.
Arcam Alpha 10 integrated -New
Classe CAP-100 integrated -Used
Audio Research D130 -Used
Sonic Frontiers Line 1 + Plinius SA-100MkIII -Used
ARC LS-16 Mk1 + Plinius SA-100MkIII -Used |
I started with a Marantz 2270 receiver, a Linn LP12 turntable, a Technics 5 disk carousel player and Ditton 66 Studio monitors. The Dittons were fed with 18 feet of AR 12 gage "wire", and Monster cable interconnects. |
KLH Model 11 portable record player
Eico kit amplifier
Dynaco Stereo 120
Harman Kardon Citation 12
Phase Linear 400
Audio Research D76
BRB Systems Model 200
Audio Research VT100 II (since 2002) |
Wow I can't believe I just left off where I did! Since last I wrote several years ago I can't really keep track of everything but after the c-j 11a it went something like this:
1. c-j 11a
2. Air Tight ATM1
3. Cary 300B Sig monos
4. KR Audio VT320
5. Graaf GM5050
6. Deja Vu Audio Push-pull EL-34 Custom Amp (Current)
That is my total amp evolution after my c-j. In the interest of time, reader boredom, and writers cramp I'm leaving out preamps amd sources. I hope I can stop here as my system sounds great, but..... |
I guess I'll update my list too:
Kenwood Receiver ** long gone **
Phase Linear 400 ** sold **
Parasound HCA 2200 ** sold **
B&K M200 Sonata ** Started with 2, now have 4. ** sweet!
2 of them modded at Musical Concepts
B&K Ref 4420 ** sold **
Bedini 100.100 MkII ** Sold **
Conrad Johnson MF2100 2 of them vertical biamp. ** sold both **
Ayre V3 ** sold **
Electron Kinetics Eagle 2a ** sold **
Electron Kinetics Eagle 2c prime - ** really sweet amp. **
Electron Kinetics Eagle 4 - I have 2 of them - pretty much the same as the Eagle 2C - except the face plate
>> I use the Eagles in my home theater.
TAD 60 - first serious venture into Tubes. Excellent
Manley Stingray - Excellent integrated
Fisher 30a - 2 of them. vintage 15 w/c mono blocks that I bought and refurb'd. Nice little amps - surprisingly nice. |
My first (integrated) amp was a Sansui AU 9900 which I still have. From there I had several Carver separates which for a kid in high school wasn't too bad. Those were replaced by an APT Holman pre and APT 1 amp. I then had a pair of B&K M200 Sonatas for about 10 years. After that was a VTL 50/50 which was the most unreliable component I've ever had. The VTL was soon replaced by an Anthem Amp One which was a great amp. Next was a McIntosh MC150 which was recently replaced with my current amp a McCormack DNA 125. |
Densen B300 stereo
Cary V12 mono
Jeff Rowland 501 mono
Theta Citadel mono
Jeff Rowland 301 mono |
NAD 208 Thx
NAD 218 Thx
Parasound 2205a
Parasound A21
Parasound 1206 (still have)
McIntosh 502
Bryston 14 SST
Innersound ESL 300 MKIII (great amp, still using)
Musical Fidelity NuVista 300 (Bi-amping Maggies with the Innersound and this)
I need to add:
Spectron Musician III
Bel Canto Ref 1000 (current) |
Marantz 4430
Technics SA-something
Fisher (offshore period - poor)
Yamaha AX-something (not at all bad)
Dynaco ST-120 (blew it up while modding)
Jolida 302 (one of the first made; enjoyable)
Golden Tube Audio SE40 (pair running as mono blocks; pain to live with but sounded superb; let the Marantz go)
McIntosh MA6500 (easy to live with but I prefered the sound of the the GTAs) |
Sansui AU 9900 Int
Carver M1.5t
Carver M1.0t (2)
Apt 1
B&K M200 Sonata Monos
VTL 50/50 (P.O.S.)
Anthem Amp 1
B&K 2140
McIntosh 7100
McCormack DNA 125 |
I tend to hang on to my equipment longer than most others it seems.
First system was a Sound Design for $100 out of the catalog when I was 16.
Next Harmon Kardon Quad receiver, I don't remember which one.
Then the Pioneer Spec series amps for 10 years.
Carver 1.0T for 20 years.
Cary SLI-80 for the last year and a half.
Recently added a Mac 7270. |
