Thanks plangco, I forgot to write that I want solid-state, sorry.
Please help - WHICH INTEGRATED AMP?
Hello everyone!
I've just registered a moment ago to ask you good folks for your opinions. I need to buy a new integrated amp.
I listen all sorts of music, but predominantly 70's and 80's rock, metal, disco and synth-pop. I listen a lot of orchestral soundtracks too.
I have Sonus faber Toy Towers which I generally like very much, but in my room of 19 square meters they tend to produce a bit too much bass with my old amp (Magnum IA.170) and Kimber 8 PR speaker cables.
I've recently sold Magnum and I want to change speaker cables. I still have no idea about cables, but regarding the amplifier - right now, here where I live in central Europe, there are 4 used integrated amps in second-hand market, which are interesting to me.
They are all similarly priced, similarly old, all in allegedly fantastic condition. Since I never heard any of them, and since they all have excellent reviews, I thought that I might try to ask here for a help, which one to choose:
1) Krell KAV-300i - around 20 years old, $870
2) Densen DM-10 - around 18 years old, $970
3) Electrocompaniet ECI-4 - around 14 years old, $1100
4) Accuphase E-212 - around 14 years old, $1200
The 5th option would be to buy a new JOB INTegrated - or - JOB 225 power amplifier in combination with some head-amp which would primarily serve as preamp (like Marantz HD-DAC1 or Naim DAC-V1). Both JOBs have a price of $1700 and that is the highest price I am able to pay for amp.
Thanks in advance for your thoughts on this.
I've just registered a moment ago to ask you good folks for your opinions. I need to buy a new integrated amp.
I listen all sorts of music, but predominantly 70's and 80's rock, metal, disco and synth-pop. I listen a lot of orchestral soundtracks too.
I have Sonus faber Toy Towers which I generally like very much, but in my room of 19 square meters they tend to produce a bit too much bass with my old amp (Magnum IA.170) and Kimber 8 PR speaker cables.
I've recently sold Magnum and I want to change speaker cables. I still have no idea about cables, but regarding the amplifier - right now, here where I live in central Europe, there are 4 used integrated amps in second-hand market, which are interesting to me.
They are all similarly priced, similarly old, all in allegedly fantastic condition. Since I never heard any of them, and since they all have excellent reviews, I thought that I might try to ask here for a help, which one to choose:
1) Krell KAV-300i - around 20 years old, $870
2) Densen DM-10 - around 18 years old, $970
3) Electrocompaniet ECI-4 - around 14 years old, $1100
4) Accuphase E-212 - around 14 years old, $1200
The 5th option would be to buy a new JOB INTegrated - or - JOB 225 power amplifier in combination with some head-amp which would primarily serve as preamp (like Marantz HD-DAC1 or Naim DAC-V1). Both JOBs have a price of $1700 and that is the highest price I am able to pay for amp.
Thanks in advance for your thoughts on this.
Showing 7 responses by audiosonicsound
Thanks melbguy, Toy Towers are 89db so there shouldn't be a problem: http://www.sonusfaber.com/ContentsFiles%5Cdata_sheet_Toy_tower.pdf Thanks freediver, I will try plugging the woofer ports as soon as I buy new amp! |
george - are your test results reliable? Because if yes, that would mean that Sonus faber is presenting false specifications. Or maybe just the pair you tested are different from the rest? Thanks. skoczylas - I have quite limited choice here where I live, so I need to stick to what available to me, like the amps I mention in the first post. Hegels are not available to me, and anyway - there are way too many Hegels being sold by their owners on the second-hand markets in the West - not a good sign. |
After seeing your thoughts here, and after talking to one elderly constructor of audio equipment, I'm much closer to reaching my decision. Most likely that will be new amplifier, either JOB 225 or JOB INT. If I don't buy JOB, then I will go with Electrocompaniet. It seems that Krell KAV-300i was not an extremely succesful design, bearing a little in common with prior classic Krells. While both Densen and Accuphase ARE great amplifiers, they are both too old. Their age now is such that problems can be expected in near future, and repairing them would be too expensive and too difficult, especially here where I live. While the 14-years old Electrocompaniet is by far the best choice among these 4 used amps, a new JOB would be even better choice. If you agree or disagree, you're welcome to comment if you feel like it. Especially if you're familiar with JOB AND Electrocompaniet . Thank you all for reading and contributing to this little thread. |
george, there has been written around the web countles times in last two years that JOB 225 can drive any speakers, so I'm not worried a bit about that, but thatnks for your elaboate post. freediver, actually right now Audio Analogue is very affordable here, so much, that I tend to think it's not in the same class as JOB/Goldmund, Electrocompaniet, Accuphase... I thought about it very recently, but didn't actually hear any of Audio Analogue stuff. |