Onkyo 504 rs
Symphonic Line RG1 MK11
BAT VK 200
Perreaux 350P
Pass Aleph 30
Leak Stereo 20
OCM 500 |
Marantz 1030 Int.
Bryston 3B
Blue Circle BC 2
Graaf 200 OTL |
A little intergrated Electro-Voice from the late 60's,
Marantz 1060 in the 70's to early 80's,
Marantz 8B ever since. |
Update/ Sonic Frontiers Line 1 SE
Planning to get Bryston power amp. replacing Rogers E20a. |
I started off with a NAD 2200 in 1988. Then the madness started. Mcintosh 2002, Counterpoint SA 12 which began my on and off flirtation with tubes. Then a Classe DR 10, Sonic Frontiers 80, Krell KSA 50s, Cary 300i, Krell 300i, Audio Research CA 50, Conrad Johnson CAV 50, Another Cary 300i, Conrad Johnson Premier 11,Bryston 4BST, Cary 88, Krell 300IL(Stop the Insanity!!!) and now a Pass Labs X250(Sweet # Sixteen). guess What, I'm really happy with it. Will happiness last? I sure hope so!..... Stay tuned. |
Rotel 1060
Classe 151
Audio research VS110
Bryston 4BSST
Pass Lab X150.5 |
I can't believe no one has tried or owned any Outlaw amps, I love mine. Beat amp i've owned. |
pioneer 525(1973), pioneer 838, Phase linear 400, Holman 1 (1980-2002), B&K140, B&K 4420....Eagleman |
NAD 7155, NAD 2200, Threshold Stasis 3, Threshold T200/Genesis Bass Servo/B&K AVR305(HT) Pass Labs X250 |
Lloyd's stereo budget combi system
->
Onko stereo reciever
->
Sony stereo reciever
->
NAD AV716 HT reciever
->
Krell KAV-500 HT amplifier
->
Krell KAV-1500 HT amplifier |
My progression needs updated.
I previously listed:
Technics integrated
Denon PMA 300V int.
Heath amp
Forte Model 6
Meridian 557
Mark Levinson No.383 int.
Moscode 300 (modified)
Mark Levinson No.383 int.
Since that post:
Innersound ESL
Bat Vk-200
Jeff Rowland Concentra II
Pass X150.5 |
Sansui receiver, Carver M400 (original version), Hafler DH220 kit, Audionics CC-2, c-j MV-75a1 (still own), Bryston 3B-ST. On horizon...Bryston 7B-SST or Classe CA-401.
preamps...NAD 1040 (or was it 1020?), c-j PV-4, c-j PV-6, c-j PF1 (still in service). On horizon... a CAT or c-j ART!
Horizon(is reached?)...when last child finishes college hopefully. |
Just got back into the hobby 2 years ago. So far Rotel 1080 and Levinson 334. In the future, who knows, maybe the Levinson 33h. |
Hi guys, this is certainly fun.
Being a tightwad all my life I started with an used JBL integrated 60wpc amp, then traded it up for a new DYNACO integrated 40wpc, after selling it, came a new NAD integrated 20wpc that might be sold soon. Just now realized have been sliding down the wattage stairs. Next logical step would have been going 5wpc SET triode integrated gear... But looking at my wife's expression after just mentioning it convinced me that to preserve my neck in one single piece should aim to something else. Speaking of WAF (wife acceptance factor)...
Current rig is a new Adcom stereo pre-amp (passive mode) paired with an pre-owned Musical Fidelity 120wpc dual mono power amp. This changes took place during a time span of over 35 years...
Happy listening to you all !! |
Just upgraded this past winter to the new Krell KAV-400xi integrated amp. Best so far, but the Hafler is still going strong in my brother's system. Previously owned:
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 (donated to my music starved brother) 1980-2003
Odyssey Stratos ss amp, 150 WPC (sold) 2003-2004 |
An interesting series of events recently took place that made me realize I have an amp I really enjoy, so I'll probably keep my Ayre V-5x for now. Before that it was an Ayre V-3, Pass Aleph 5, Bryston 4BST; Plinius, Musical Fidelity & Creek integrated's; Adcom 565's & 555; Sherwood, Pioneer, Kenwood & Sansui receivers.
My first stereo system started with a 10 watt Sony receiver in 1971. |
Pioneer Receiver
Yamaha Receiver
Proceed BPA
Jolida 302b (Svetlana + NOS tubes)
Next...please help me decide with Sonatas mk I |
Vector Research 9000
Yamaha RX777
Parasound HCA-1500
Pair of Parasound HCA-2200II
Odyssey Stratos Extreme Monoblocks
I love the Odysseys, may try the JC-1 next year. |
Started with a Yamaha 200wpc beast that promptly blew up after one hour of playback! The dealer then set me up with an Adcom GFA-555 which was stable and sounded great. I then moved on to a Musical Design D-150. After that, I purchased my first pair of BEL mono-blocks. They were Mk IVs. Now I've upgraded those to Mk V status and bought a few more so I can run full surround. Haven't heard anything better yet. |
Just got into separates so my list is short. Yammie HTR5560 Yammie RXv2400 Parasound 2200II and currently drooling over Primare's A30 line. |
Way back I started with a harman kardon tube amp, then a fisher tube amp, then nothing for a long time. Then I got back into audio and purchased a Threshold S-150 amp followed by an Audio Research D-125 amp. My current amp is a set of Quicksilver V4's. The system is sounding better then ever. Just a joy. |
Yammaha RXV-750 75wpc - Used for 10 years
Denon 4802 125wpc? - Returned after 30 days for refund
Sonic Frontiers PVA-5 125wpc - Still used for center and surround duty in HT
Lexicon NT-512 140wpc - Great amp, but still not what I was looking for. Need to sell soon.
AES-25 Superamp DJH 35wpc push pull. - Now we are getting somewhere.
Next year I might try something with tube rectification. |
Sony Reciever from Dad
Nikko Seperates 1st year in college
Hafler DH500 and then a second DH500 to bi-amp
Sumo Andromeda II (no bass, bad ground humm interaction)
ARC Classic 60 (Liquid music but no bass on my Magnepan IIIa')
Music Reference RM9 (shouldn't have sold it)
ARC D300 Bridged for the center channel
ARC D400 MKII (another shouldn't have sold it)
SIM W5 (YUK bought new returned it to the dealer it sounded awful) also bought a Sim 4070E for the center channel
EAD PowerMaster 2000 (great amp! overkill for my video system when I broke the systems apart and too large to fit in rack)
Sunfire Cinema II Arch (video only, sounds 2d in my audio system)(doesn't generate heat for being in rack and powers inwall pretty well and turn on when signal is sent to it..)
Lamm M1.1's (the final resting place for my audio system) the control of Solid state with the harshness and the 2nd order harmonics of tubes.. this is to quell my urges for tubes.... humm maybe I need to try the Lamm ML1.1 tube amp? |
started with the sonic frontiers power 2
then went to a graaf gm-100(I HATE THIS AMP sounds like garbage) then i went to a BAT VK-75SE, Which i really liked but i decided that i still liked the power 2 the best so i sold the BAT and bought another power 2, i am thinking about having it upgraded to SE+ status by parts connexion. I have heard they upgrade is dumb-founding. Sidenote, one of the very few amps i have liked as much as the SF was a heavily modified set of NYAL OTL3s. In the future I may go the OTL route. Actually i will be moving to japan soon so i may end up getting bitten by the single ended bug. |
Nikko NA-850 Integrated Amp, 1978-1986
Tandberg 3006A, 1986-2002 (Still use as sub amp for HT)
Rowland Model 10, 2002-present
At this rate, I'll have the Rowland until 2034 :) |
Funny to see this thread going so long but thought the Adcom starting thread was amusing.
Since that Panasonic LP/Tape console thing some punk roommate left behind in '83, or that JVC Boombox I plugged that BIC 'table I stole from my cousin doesn't count, my first real piece of equipment was a 20 year old NAD integrated that was given to me('92) and I fronted with a Dual turntable with a Denon DL-165. I worked in the record store in a place that also sold high-end audio and my real entree was when I walked up to the audio guys and asked if they could repair the volume knob on my NAD. When they heard what I had (they asked if I had separates or an integrated - I called it the NAD "one piece amp thing")they started selling me on the idea of new equipment, and separates, but it was when they said that I could get "Cleaner Sound" that I was hooked. I couldn't believe it, here I was, this big record collector and I wasn't getting "clean sound", wotta chump. I started reading Stereophile to find out what I was missing, which was a lot, and that was the beginning.
After spending a coupla months reading, talking, listening - getting the audio thing down, the first amp I bought myself was the Adcom GFA-555 MkII. I enjoyed this piece very much, from everything I had heard previous in my life this was heaven. It had power and could play loud, the Stooges never sounded so good. Later a pair of Mark Levinson Prototype 25 Watt monoblocks ended up at our stereo shop that were donated to an art auction by old friends of his (along with a pair of Klipsch speakers they had been paired with). These were old and and in need of repair so working equipment replaced these at the auction and the monoblocks were repaired at our shop(rewired with Kimber Silver and new power cords made from Kimber wire). With classical music they were so much more detailed than the Adcom that I sold the Adcom and bought the Levinsons.
Later I decided to buy a new amp and bought a Sonic Frontiers Power 2 SE and this amp is stunning. It sounds great and my only gripe is the heat. Which possibly might be enough to get me to change amps to something solid state and cooler. Not to diss the SF at all, I love this amp but as this thread shows, we like to make changes...... |
|
Lafayette LR-500B receiver (1969)
Dynaco SCA-80 intergrated amp (1971)
Sony TA-1130 (???) intergrated amp (1974)
GAS Son of Ampzilla (1978)
Hafler DH-200 (1980) (used both Hafler & GAS)
Berning EA-230 (1987)
BEL 1001 (1990)
Music Reference RM-9 (1992) |
Sony year of 1978( ia do not remember) it had greens leds,marantz sr5300, yamaha rxv-795 a, rotel rb 1070,macormack dna 1 dlx, AR vt100 mkII, and now the best I heard Gamut d200 mk3. |
1967: SAE MK IV x 2; SAE MK III; SAE MK I pre (early SS heavyweights used with my Infinity Servo Statik I; eventually gave III and one IV to my kids, still working. One IV eventually lost a channel; it and the I in my attic now; well-made stuff)
1998: Creek 4240SE (gave its all trying to drive my Maggies, then croaked; dumb move on my part, but sounded pretty good for a while on classical music; in my attic now).
Current System
2002: Denon AVR-3803 (pre/pro and 3 amps for surround channels; pretty nice DACs for midfi receiver, but just not enough juice to make my full-range Maggies sing)
2004: Adcom 5802 (drives my FL/FR channels; Nirvana with my Maggies)
Next update in about 20 years I hope, although the heat of the 5802 may impact its longevity. Fortunately it resides in a room adjacent to my listening room so I could use an AC fan on it. Anyone had one for say five or more years? care to comment on overall ownership experience? |
Homebuilt Pass Aleph 3 with a homebuilt Aleph P 1.7 preamp. Long live DIY! |
Updated:
1980 - Akai something-or-other
1984 - Naim Nait (the first version)
1985 - Musical Fidelity A1
1986 - Cyrus II/PSX
1994 - SimAudio 4070
2003 - Sugden Au51P
2003 - KR18 BSI
2003 - Coincident MP300B
2003 - Wavelength Triton Blue
2004 - deHavilland Aries 845G
2004 - Canary CA-339
The Canary amps are killers, especially with KR 300BXLS power tubes |
I started with a Harmon Kardon, replaced it with
2) JVC M3030, a pure class A 30 wpc amp.
3) Forte model 5
4) Aragon 8008st
5) Krell FPB 200
6) Cary V12 signature monoblocks (borrowed from a friend)
7) Krell FPB 700cx (currently enroute, no pun intended) |
CROWN 75 watt pre-amp into a SAE 500 watt amp into BOSE dbx box into BOSE 901 speakers. At least I think that is how it went. The CROWN and the SAE could have been the other way around. Got Them in 1975 and had them up to 1999. Still wish I had them. Let's just say that the system was great!!!! at least for an old back woods farm boy such as myself. |
TECHNICS RECEIVER
HK AVR 25 II GOOD RECEIVER
KENWOOD RECEIVER JUNK
ADCOM GFA-5800
PS AUDIO
MUSE MONO BLOCKS DRY SOUNDING
THRESHOLD S/150 (POSSIBLY THE BEST SOUNDING SOLID STATE-I WISH I KEPT IT...)
THRESHOLD S/300
ROGUE 120 MONO'S LIVED WITH FOR ABOUT A MONTH, DECIDED TO MUCH MONEY
CODA 10.5 VERY GOOD AND CLOSE TO THE S/150 WITH A LITTLE MORE POWER AND THE NEWER "ESOTERIC LOOK"...
ODYSSEY STRATOS VERY HAPPY WITH FOR THE PRICE, 10.5 WAS A LITTLE BETTER.
CARY 70B SIGNATURE TRUE TUBES 65 WATT PER CHANNEL, CAN'T GO BACK. (CURRENT) |
1988 Pioneer A-656 MKII (ALR Nummer 3 stand speakers)
1993 Harman Kardon HK1400 (ALR Nummer 3 stand speakers)
1998 Rega Mira (Original) (Mission 751 monitor speakers)
2003 Linn Classic (Mission 751 monitor speakers)
2004 Linn Wakonda/LK85 (Mission 751 monitor speakers)
? some tube integrated ? - (Mission 751 monitor speakers)
So far it's been all solid-state. If I can find a good tube amp to drive my 751 speakers I might switch someday.... |
Started out with a Sony - whatever model, does it matter?
Arcam Alpha
Linn LK1 - LK2-75
Leak Stereo 20
Krell KAV300i
Conrad Johnson CAV50
Cary V12i MonoBlocks (still have these)
Perreaux 3150B (still have this)
Perreaux 2150B (still have this)
Krell FPB 200 - present amp
Looking at Pass Mono's or VTL's for the future. Anyone want a used Perreaux (or two)? |
I got a superscope cassette player with built in speaker, I believe it was the C-101A. It was a Christmas present in 1975.
My next upgrade was a Centrex "by Pioneer" compact am/fm, cassette, turntable complete with a four wpc amplifier.
My first real receiver was a Kenwood KR 2400- 15 wpc model, foll0wed by a KR 4070 40 wpc in high school.
My high school graduation present was a Luxman 1050 55 wpc receiver and at that point I knew I had something special.
In college I bought a used McIntosh 2205 amp that I owned until I bought a just released Mark Levinson 23.
After several years with that, I quickly went through a Rowland Concentra, Sonic Frontiers Power One, Pass Aleph 3, and X250 amp.
I have now settled down-I think forever- with an Air Tight ATM with all NOS tubes. |
1972 Sansui can't remember the model.
1985 Yamaha A1020.
1990 Yamaha B2-X.
2003 Adcom GFA 565 Monoblocks. |
Just a quick update:
1988 Pioneer A-656 MKII (ALR Nummer 3 stand speakers)
1993 Harman Kardon HK1400 (ALR Nummer 3 stand speakers)
1998 Rega Mira (Original) (Mission 751 monitor speakers)
2003 Linn Classic (Mission 751 monitor speakers)
2004 Linn Wakonda/LK85 (Mission 751 monitor speakers)
? some tube integrated ? - (Mission 751 monitor speakers)
So far it's been all solid-state. If I can find a good tube amp to drive my 751 speakers I might switch someday....
2004 ... just found one: Jolida JD302B: even right out of the box beats all of the above hands down, I think I just got converted... |
Good time for me to add my list as I just made a very satisfactory upgrade :
1982 JVC receiver - 60W (ha!) plus cheesy tone controls
1991 Nakamichi receiver 3 - 35W - blew the JVC away
2001 Rotel RA-972 integrated amp - 60W - really blew the Nak away
2004 Acurus A200 amp - 200W - harsh and brittle using RA-972 as preamp
2004 Rotel RC-995 preamp - really sings with the Acurus amp
I should be happy for a long time to come as the RC995/A200 combo sounds better than I could have imagined and has more power than I will ever need (never say that huh?!). |
A UK perspective:
1978 Quad 45/303, lasted 20 years a very good early SS comb
1999. E.C.Audio Finestra (early Tom Evans)/ Quad 606, a clear improvement, particularly the pre. Now used by my son
2003. Finestra/ Pass Labs Aleph 3, I can'nt see myself getting rid of the Aleph
2003. Graaf WFB-one/Aleph 3, very good Italian valve pre with good phono stage.
2004. Conrad Johnson Premier 17/ Audio Synthesis Passion Phono stage/Aleph 3. As near perfect as I can see myself needing ( I know, we all say that) |
Guess I'll add mine after seeing this post has run for over 2.5 years.
Start: Acurus A150
Parasound 1500A
Anthem Amp2 SE
VAC PA100/100
McIntosh MC126 |
Wow Amps i have had.
Starting in The teen years . My very first amp was actualy two Langvin Public address 250 watters. I had to replace all 4 tubes per chassis to operate them. and it cost me a summer of lawn mowing. They didnt have the quality i soon learned to appreciate. I next bought a 20 watt per channel intergrated bare chassis from lafayette radio corp. it severed well till I was handed down a Fisher 101A with a matching tuner. But as a kid "tubes" we now obsolete. I remember smashing that unit for kicks,/
I again found a nice retailer who offered used equipent and in high school i got my first Marantz 1030 and then a 1060 with 104 tuners. The speakers were marantz and I still have them, Upgraded in collage to bi amp and used the 1060 as a tweeter amp and bought a DC 300 III for the bass, soon needed larger woffers. and bought 18 inch JBL's I still have in 8 cu ft cabinets.addd another DC 300 and a Clarion Intergrated amp with huge input flexibility, Im now running two crown dc 300 's a BOSE 1800 pro, and a hafler 120P. with dolby digital via a yamaha reciever.
Ive had along the path a Phase linear stereo 200 and 400's both self destructed.The same with the Dynaco stereo 120 and a Dynaco stereo 400 and a beat up by a band DC150 crown. But with a loading factor in the 2 ohm range I expect that to happen to weaker amps, I now have established a vintage electronics business located in Upstate NY and at wolf_audio on eBay.
Theres a dynaco SCA 80 there now. |
ARC VS110...harkens back to the tube magic of yesteryear without the limitations of frequency or control. |
Since October 2003, my audio journey has taken me from...
1)Marantz SR7200 receiver
2)Fisher Studio Standard BA6000
3)Adcom GFA-555
4)Pioneer Reference M-90
5)PS Audio 250 Delta Monoblocks <== Current 2 channel setup.
I still have all the amps. Amps 1-4 are used in my HT setup right now. The PS audio sounds wonderful in my setup. They will be staying in my system for a while. |
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
Fast forward 2 years:
Sold the BC-2 in Winter 2003/2004
DNA 225 sitting idling
47 Labs Shigaraki Integrated (2003-still here)
very fast and pratty
Final Music 6 battery powered amplifier (2004-current standard!) Wow paired with the Final Music 5 battery powered preamp.
Financially strapped for now. No more upgrades or changes, I promise (Yeah right.) |
Looking for amplifier with the same Quad Forty II quality sound, but alot more power |
Just 3 months ago I said I was happy & would keep the Ayre V-5x & while I wasn't actively seeking another amp, the opportunity to upgrade to an Ayre V-1x "fell into my lap" and has now become part of my system. |
Onkyo / Yamaha / Denon / Harman-Kardon / Cambridge Audio / Musical Fidelity
I had some all in one systems as a kid, but my first real amp was purchased in 1984 and was an Onkyo TX-35 Receiver. I then purchased a a Yamaha integrated in the late 80's and a Denon integrated around the early to mid 90's. Oh, I also had a Kenwood in there for a period of about a week - but it sounded horrid. I kept the Denon until 1999 when it decided to start giving me switching problems and I purchased a Harman-Kardon amp.
As you can see - I was pretty much confined to "big-box" stores for my equipment selection and I ran the whole line of the better brands available from such stores. I can honestly say that up until the H/K I didn't hear much difference in all the others. I enjoyed the H/K quite a bit and it helped me rediscover my analog LP's which led me to upgrade my turntable (to a MMF-5) around 2002.
With the better turntable came a better amp - the Cambridge Audio 640A and a CIAudio VPP-1 phono-amp. The CA/CIAudio combination trounced the H/K in a major way!
I've again upgraded turntables this year to the Rega P5/Exact combination and couldn't resist the temptation to upgrade amps again. Thanks to Audiogon, I've got a very nice used Musical Fidelity A300 on the way, which I'm very excited about! I like the idea of having a good built in phono stage and everything I've read about the A300 leads me to believe that it will be with me for quite some time. |
