Personal amp evolution

Many Dynakit integrateds, pre, stereo 70, mono blocks, then Proton D940, then Onkyo Integra A807, then an acurus pre with a rotel 980, and now finally a threshold stasis 3.

The Audio note P2SE (upgraded) is with my Audio Note guy to shop it around with his customers.

I acquired a lovely Audio Note Conqueror with upgraded Sophia 300b tubes, Sylvania 6ns7GT drivers, and audio note oil film caps for a very reasonable price. A definite step up from the pentode P2SE although that is a lovely amp, too, and much more powerful with 17 watts. The 8 watts works just fine with my Audio Note K type speakers, though.

Well the only amps I have ever owned are the amp packs attached to my ATC active speakers.

And since I felt so left out of all of these conversations, I decided to buy a system for my office to play with, and give me ammunition to add to the entire amp/ preamp and speaker sections of audiogon.

It is so fun reading about everyone else's quandries, so I decided to give myself some!

I am so happy with my home system I had to go out and buy something that would not satisfy me so I could fit in with everyone else.

Yes, that was kind of a joke.

So now I have some little Antique Sound Lab monoblocks, and now I can start experimenting with different tubes, power cords, interconnects, speaker wire (a new one for me!) and other things.

Not only that, but I am buying a turntable so I can also start reading all of the analog discussions too!

Justin

Sansui receiver purchased at a PX in Viet Nam. (Used it for 14 years or so. It's still in my garage.)
Superphon G 4 or something. Still around but one channel is out.
Bryston 4B - I drove down to Boulder determined to get a Levinson but came home with this.
Classe CA-200 - used happily for several years
Musical Fidelity CR (way better than the Classe in every respect.)
I wanted to simplify my system so in the last year I have tried Plinius top of the line Mk II integrated amp but didn't stick with it very long. (It is not very transparent.) Then tried for a couple of weeks the Unico integrated but as with the Plinius was underwhelmed. I now have on order a pair of "extreme" version of Odyssey monoblocks to mate with a BV-Audio preamp. That preamp is now plugged into the Musical Fidelity and sounds glorious. I was using my old Croft valve preamp that sounded nice until the BV arrived. Neither the Croft nor the Conrad Johnson PR-1 (once class A stereophile) cannot compete with the BV. When the Odysseys arrive I hope I am done forever.

Onkyo Integra 504 RS
Symphonic Line RG1 mkIII
BAT VK 200
Perreaux 350P
Pass Aleph 30

Yamaha receiver
Hafler XL280
added another XL280 - went mono block
Electrocompaniet IC-2 (50 watt integrated)
Electrocompaniet AW120DMB
Air Tight ATM2 - AWESOME!!! (still have it boxed up)
Bryston 14B-SST (cause the ATM-2 can't drive my Thiel CS6s)

Realistic STA-14 - Fisher 400 - Pioneer SX-525 - Advent 300 w/ mods - McCormack DNA-0.5DLX - McCormack DNA-0.5DLX SMc Rev C (=DNA125). 1972-2003. Not a very exciting progression compared to most of yous...

1966 to 2003:
Lafayette Solid State Int.Amp,Olsen Tube Rec.,Pioneer SA-9100, Kenwood L07-Ms,GAS Son of Ampzilla,GAS Ampzilla II,Threshold 400A, Marantz 8b,ARC D-76,ARC D-150A,ARC D-79A, Futterman OTLs,Rappaport Amp-1,Quicksilver MS-190,Electron Kinetic Eagle 7A,MFA M-120,MFA M-150,MFA M-200,NRG A200S, Spectral DMA-80,Pass Aleph 3,Mesa Baron,Sonic Frontiers Power OneSE,Gamut D200 Mk.II,Spectron Musician II.

Eico integrated tube 20 watts 1963
Fisher 35 watt integrated amp 1965
Sony SS 60 Watt receiver 1968
Citation SS amp 1970
Phase Linear 400 1972
Naim 160 1974
Naim 150 monoblocks 1976
Belles SS 80 watts l982
Forte four Class A 1992
Pass Aleph 3 1997
Pass Aleph 5 1997
GamuT D 100 Mk. III 2003

For high power system
Proton D1200 ->Bryston 9BST->McIntosh MC240->Lafayette KT550
For low power system
Heathkit SA-2
Pilot 240
SET EL84 modified by Roger Modjeski from Music Reference

I have not find the "BEST VALUE" in high power amp that can compete with Lafayette KT550. I bought the unit from a ex-Lafayette engineer (over-paid compared to ebay but it's in like new condition with Vitamin-Qs inside.)
This is exact same HK Citation II except of the tube choices.
The NOS 7027A tubes are much cheaper than the NOS EL34, KT88 and 6550.
I have not find the "BEST VALUE" in low power amp than the Heathkit, Pilot 240 and SET EL84.
The NOS EL84 tubes are much cheaper than the NOS 300B and 2A3.
The average cost of EL84 amps in good condition is less than $200. You can also spend a little more for the Eico HF-86 and Pilot-232s but not much better in performance.

Shortest list of the bunch ...

Sherwood 60wpc receiver, 1972-72
Stolen from my dorm room over Xmas break
Hope they're still listening to it, it would serve them right!

Sansui 80 wpc receiver, 1973-74
Bose 901's needed the extra power!

Phase Linear 400, 1974-89
901's didn't play real good, but they sure could play big!
Yup, the Phase really did last that long
Shorted out and took all 18 drivers with it, thank goodness
Wow, who would believe this thing could pass 50V DC?!

SAE A205, 89-present
Just about the last amp SAE made, after the DAK buyout
Still as good as it ever was, ie, decent
Can't knock the value, I think it was $400 brand new!

In the hunt now for something to better match the new N803 speakers. Anybody have a Plinius for $400?

Lets see if I can remember all the amps... here goes..

Stromberg and Carlson
Kenwood receiver
Carver
Krell (5 channel and KSA 250)
Llano
Thor Audio TPA-30 monos
Cary (2A3, 2A3 PP, Rocket 88)
Bel Canto (SET40 and EVO)

Currently own BAT VK-75SE (best one so far! I am going to hang onto this one!
Mike

From sart to present:
1 Nikko alpha 220
2 Soundcraftmen 5002 (Not sure on model#)
3 Hafler 500
4 Krell 250 Krell Ksa300
5 Crown Macro Reference
6 counterpoint 220
7 parasound 2200 MkI and MkII
8 Clayton mono's M70
9 Conrad Johnson 11 12 8 5
10 Spectron Digital Amp (Very first generation)
11 Bat VK 60
12 Audio Research VT 100 VT200
13 Bryston 5B-ST
I've had other amps either as loaner's or i just forggotten.
My current amps:
Home theater Bryston's 6B-SST and 14B-SST
2 CH : Krell FPB 700CX
Thanks for Reading JOSE

I have to update my previous post! Now using ASL 1009 845-based 60 watt monos w mods by Israel Blume of Coincident- I am finding them a great match with his Total Victory speakers...

Dynaco (120? so long ago I don't remember!); JVC; Yamaha; Classé DR-8; BEL MK III; Pass X250; Edge NL-10. The Edge ends my quest for what I feel will be a very long time. It has all the attributes I have looked for, and it's high power give me flexibility for future experimentation w/speakers (though I'm equally pleased w/my SF Electa Amator IIs).

I began the quest with classe cam 200, krell ksa 300, and krell ksa mono block.

I guess I have to add my new amp to my personal amp evolution list from last year. David Berning custom built 45 SET ZOTL. Totally awesome!

David- How about some of the super powerful amps you have demo'd recently??? You certainly like powerful amps for those power craving speakers!! I have heard the new Tenor's and they are amazing, not sure if they will have enough juice for you, but for everyone else they are great ;) How is your listening room coming along?? ~Tim

Sansui 771 (was that the number?) in college
Quad 405 for many years
Adcom 555 - there it is again, also for years
JRDG 9 Ti's for 2 years
Pass 600's for 6 months
Krell 750 MCX monos-Ahhhhh

Maybe the new high-power Tenor in the future

Hafler DH200 driving ADS L980's
Roberton 4010 driving L980's (SS amp w/tubey sweet sound)
PS Audio 200C driving Apogee Duetta's (Ouch!!)
ARC D350 (Never figured this amp out)
ARC D110 (Made my Duetta II's sing!! My favorite combo)
Levinson ML-9 (No power, but super sweet on the Duetta's)
Levinson ML-3 (Found out what the Duetta's can really do)
B&K ST200 & Mirage M3si. (Bad Trip)
Levinson 23 & Mirage M3si's (We're getting there)

Aiwa A/V Receiver, Audio Alchemy OM-150, Quicksilver Silver mono 90s. I imagine Wolcotts will be next.

My main upgrade was pre-amps which led to experimenting with the amplifier changes. Now with my B&K pre-amp and seperate Sony ES Dolby Digital processor i'm very satisfied with the sound of the Fosgate amps. The reason I went to the fosgates was I was using a Fosgate processor and wanted the amps to match.This was all on trading on existing equipment. Happy listening.

Your right we all start with an Adcom.

2-ch
Golden Tube 300B monos (highly modded)
Altec 1570B monos (extreme mods)
future ideas: Wyetech Topaz 572 or Wavelength X1 300B monos

HT
Denon receiver
Citation 5.1's
Theta Dreadnaught

It would be great to see this thread again in about 15 years...

Started back when I was in Jr. High:
DeWald integrated tube amp, about 30 WPC (fried) 1960-1978
Nikko integrated ss amp, 40 WPC (sold) 1978-1980
Hafler DH-200 ss amp, 100 WPC (still using) 1980-2003
Odyssey Stratos ss amp, 150 WPC (on order) 2003-????

Parasound HCA-600

Purchased new in '95 for $400.
Haven't bothered to upgrade since.

Hi,

Who can help me finding schematics for Carver M4.0t and HR722 Amp and receiver?

Adcom GFA 1 (sold)
PS Audio 2C (sold)
Adcom GFA 545 II (sold)
Bryston 2B (sold)
Levinson 27.5 (sold)
McIntosh MC 225 (sold; shoulda kept this one..tubes were difficult to find at the time..things change)

Parasound HCA 1206 (current HT amp)
Audio Note P2SE (current stereo amp, w/black gates, silver internal wire...upgraded to signature spec)

desired stereo amp: pair of audio note parallel 300b amps

Fisher Receiver
Sansui Receiver
NAD3140 Integrated - alone
NAD2150 Bridged w/3140(still have both)
Adcom 5300
Acurus A250
Acurus A200
Aragon 4004MkII
Classe DR25
(I know there is better than the DR25 if I want to spend the money, but have been concentrating on front-end upgrades and cables, and DR25 has kept up)

1973 - Marantz 1060 (a basic 30w integrated)
1977 - Harmon Kardon 730 receiver (dual power...)
1989 - Adcom 200w/channel (played loud)
1993 - Adcom mono 300w (played very loud)
1999 - Plinius SA-100 (what a step up)
2000 - 2 Plinius SA-100 MK3 (used as monos for Dunlavy V)
2002 - 2 Aloia 15.1 (very smooth and detailed, but not enough for my room)
2002 - 2 Goldmund 28M (so far the speed and full base are the best I;ve ever heard... a great match for Piega C-40 speakers)

I am an amp freak.
1987 Harman Kardon Receiver(don't remember model)
1991 B+K ST140 (not much difference from above)
1997 Dynaco ST70(more engaging than ST140, light+lively)
1997 ARC D90B (more power, cleaner, Less dgangly, less engaging)
1998 Mark Levinson ML9 (wonderful amp, clean, warm ,involving)
1999 Mark levinson No23 (as above, phenomenal bass)
1999 Mark Levinson 332 (more detailed but slightly etched, could sound harsh)
2000 Gamut D200 (wonderful, light+lively, full of life like a tube amp but with lots of detail, no etch)
2002Gamut M250 (as above with more bass power+control, bigger soundstage)

I had so much fun replying to personal speaker evolution
I thought i would torchure you guys some more.

1.) A really bad integrated amp that came with
an 8 track player that i also used to run my first
electric guitar thru. It was so bad i used to get
that Black sabbath grind (some serious amp clipping)
without a distortion box. What a pile of SH**T! I
actually knew it was a pile back then. And i didnt
know anything.

2.) A Technics reciever i believe was 35wpc and .003thd.
My parents gave it to me on my birthday about 25 years
ago and my cheapskate brother was still using it up until
about a year ago. At the time I thought it was awesome...
I really did.. Again what a pile of SH**T! I just
flogged the hell out of it.. for years!

3.) A Kenwood amp that came in a rack of separates that
i bought. I used it for years. I believe 125wpc .005thd.
I knew it wasnt that good(actually another pile of SH**T!) but didnt know much better and it worked!

4.) Yamaha receiver I think RX-595. From previous piles
it was a big improvement.

5.) Another Yamaha receiver RX-630 that im using for
a pre/pro (yes another pile!) im getting ready
to upgrade to something much better.

6.) A Bel Canto EVO6. The only thing i can say about
the BC is i wouldent trade it for anything. I dont care
what anybody says. Its staying. Im getting another for
6 channels of bridge diff mode.

audio research vt100
aloia 13.01 inductive
tenor 75wi
goldmund memisis 29m..current and unbelievable.

Dynaco SCA 80 Q (built in HS elec. class), RAM 510 (anyone remember this one?), TVA 10, NYAL OTL 3 (had it paired w/Quad 63's for that magic midrange), Berning ZH 270 (this is the one that practically does it all with resolution, top end extension and transparency that probably rank up on the top)

Oh Wow! Let's see...Lafayete Integrated (my first, 1967), Kenwood Integrated (don't remember Model), Marantz 1070 Integrated, Dynaco ST410 w/major mods, Dynaco ST 70 (I think this is still around here somewhere), Hafler DH100, Dynaco Mk VI Tube Mono's, Dynaco ST410, Adcom 555II, Krell KSA100S (just sold), Next: Krell FPB300.

I started off with a one box JVC wonder, Theta Dreadnaught, to my current Pass Labs X350. In the future I will upgrade to the Pass X600's.

Started out with Olympic Receiver only about six months then I got the bug 1971
Dyna Sca 80Q integrated 1972 Marantz 250
SAE 4C/Crown Ic a little bright but great depth
Van Alstine Pre replaced Crown-smoother but I liked the Crown more. 1984 It never created magic like the Crown.
Owned second system in here Naim Pre Power and Flat cap.
1988 replace SAE and Van Alstine with Adcom GFA 555 and GFP565 pre. Sold off Naim in 1991 due to moving. 1998
Replaced GFA 555 with Marantz Ma700 smoother- much better than the price would suggest.

2000 Replaced Adcom 565 with Electrocompaniet 4R 2002 Replace Marantz with Odyssey Stratos Monoblocks.

All of this equipment is still working except Marantz 250.

All:
Don't know the model numbers but remember them this way:
1965 - Voice of Music Turntable w/Speakers
1969 - Standard (100wpc receiver)(company's long gone)
1971 - Sony (100wpc?) Receiver
1973 - Sony Integrated 75wpc
1979 - NAD 50wpc? amp and NAD preamp
1981 - Marantz 75wpc w/marantz preamp
1982 - Carver amp, preamp and tuner
1990 - Carver amp
2002 - shopping for new amp

My first "official" amp would have to be the integrated amp in the Technics "rack system" that I purchased in the mid 1980's. I slowly picked that system apart replacing each piece.

I replaced the Technics with a Denon PMA 300V integrated. I enjoyed this little amp a lot! I later purchased a Heath amp and preamp; I got a great deal from a friend that worked for Zeinth. These were cleaner and more detailed, but I enjoyed the Denon far more.

I then purchased a Forte Model 6 in 1991 and owned it until 1997 when I purchased a Meridian 557. I used the 557 until 2000 when I went "back" to an integrated, a Mark Levinson No. 383; I enjoy this like I did with the little Denon.

I did sell the 383 a little over a year later and used a heavily modded Moscode 300 and a Hovland pre, but I soon after went back to a 383.

Yamaha integrated
Musical fidelity integrated A-100 (marvelous)
Bryston 4BST (the worst by far)
Classe CA 200
Threshold T-100

Seeing this thread pop up again recently prompts to update my prior post. I did go SS in the phono and the pre, but I stayed tube in the amp department, fulfilling my criteria above by acquiring a pair of VTL MB-185 Signature mono's. I did a complete retube and got some PowerSnakes Sidewinders for them, and am pondering having mods done, but am still evaluating my long-term prospects with these before deciding on that. They did solve my power needs in the new room though, at about 200w a side into 4 ohms. All in all, I used my old C-J for about 3 1/2 years before making the change.

Sony Compact, Sony 3200f, Son of Ampzilla, Kenwood L07-Ms, Ampzilla, Marantz 8b, Altec 1581a, Threshold 400A, ARC D-76, Spectral DMA-50, Spectral DMA-100, BEAR Labs Symphony No. 1, CTC BBQ, Parasound JC-1s....

Like any young audiophile, I started with an Adcom.

Adcom 555
Forte 1A
Quicksilver
Audio Research VT-100
Classe CA-400
Sonic Frontiers Power 3
McCormack DNA-2 Deluxe
Rowland 8TiHC
Pass Lab X-350

So I sold the Pass because it's not a good match to my SF Line 3SE, I am puzzled what power amp to get next. I am moving to a much smaller living space, so I can't afford to get SF Power 2 or 3 and be done with it. Still searching ...

hmmm... power amps:

Yamaha receiver (1981)
NAD 3140 (1982)
Sony something or other integrated (1989--yes, backwards)
B&K AV6000 (1998)
B&K ST3140 (2000) - now the center/surrounds in HT ss system
Classe CA200 (2000) - now the L/R in HT ss system
Counterpoint SA220 (2002) - L/R in 2-channel tube system

A pair of Carver M 4.0t (1988-1994)Sold both
Denon receiver DR-350? 55wts per channel(1994-1999)Kept
Audio Refinement Complete (1999-2000)Sold
Nakamichi PA 7 (2000-2000)Sold
Sonic Frontiers Power 2 (2000-2002)Sold
Audio Refinement Complete (2001-2001) This I was trying to set up a secondary system but it gave me trouble twice...Was my unit a lemon?
BC-2 Monoblocks which I got as trade for the Nak PA 7. Kept.(2000-present)
Assemblage ST300B Platinum (2001-present)loaded on closeout sale at SF!
McCormack DNA 225(2001-present and current set up.)

Most likely there will not be a change in my current amp for a long time. Maybe I will get a new preamp.

PAUL

Carver 1.0, Adcom 565, Classe 15, Plinius SA100 MK 3 and BAT VK75

Just going back 2yrs: Aragon 4004 MK1, Anthem Amp1, Audible Illusions S120. I'm thinking about going back to those glowing bottles. Nice thread!

Technics receiver (YUCK!)
NAD 314
Jolida 302
CJ CAV 50
Innersound ESL...i thought i was tube guy, but the Innersound changed that!

20 years ago: Toshiba Aurex separates (kids still use them), then receiver HK, then McIntosh 105...

Lately, AV as in subject...

I'm basically a conservative when it comes to this audiophile stuff - I don't like to spend much, change gear very often, consume a lot of power, or occupy a lot of space. I want to be able to play loudly, but not loud enough to cause audible sympathetic vibration in my listening enviroment. I do not aspire to ever own the "best there is". My concise (so far) amp evolution has been thus: NAD 2200, to Classe Seventy, to Conrad-Johnson MV-55, over a fifteen year period! (And I've kept the same Technics SL1200 turntable/arm over all that time!) Each move, FWIW, was up in price, down in power, and going from SS to tubes - not to mention better in sound. There will be another change soon, probably within the next year, as I am going to be moving to a bigger listening room. It will also be the result of my having slowly but steadily upgraded sources and cabling in the meantime. I am thinking about staying with tubes in the power amp, but with more watts, extension, and transparency, and maybe going back to SS in the pre, or at least in the phono pre. But who knows, the time might be right to give SS another try at the power postition.