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Retirement integrated amp for a “fiscal conservative”

I’ve taken the plunge and am now enjoying the 2nd week of retirement after 44 years of work, including 42 years with the company I just retired from.  
 

One of the retirement goals I’m really looking forward to is spending much more time enjoying music with my main system!

I’ve pretty much gone digital (but do have a Linn Sondek LP12 to enjoy LPs purchased in the 60’s - 80’s). 

My system consists of a Rose 150B streamer/DAC and a Primaluna CD player for digital playback. I use a Roon Nucleus for Roon/Tidal new music research and listening. Speakers are original Joseph Audio Perspectives. 
 

I enjoy all types of music, but mostly listen to jazz (preferably smooth but am exploring all of the various forms of jazz). 
 

I’m currently using a Primaluna Dialogue HP Premium integrated amp which I’ve enjoyed for many years. Here’s where the “fiscal conservative” part comes in; this amp has 8 power tubes. Even with Primaluna’s great low tube stress design concept, I’m not looking forward to replacing power tubes every couple years with my retirement bonus listening time. Also, I’d like to get additional damping factor bass control than my current amp provides. I love the tube midrange and treble range sound, but would like an upright bass to sound more like a wood instrument (hard to describe in words) and hear more natural note attack and decay
 

I’d like to get ideas/advice from A’gon music enjoyment experts on a replacement integrated that still provides the acoustic sound of tubes, but doesn’t require new tubes every couple years/2,000 hours and is a great match to enjoy jazz on the rest of my system which I plan to keep. I’m open to used or new with a cap of say $8,000. 
 

Thank you in advance for your thoughts and suggestions. 
 

Eric

ezstreams
grislybutter
3,117 posts
 

@tomaswv 

Nritish = British?

ezstreams OP
54 posts
 

Thank you ALL for your thoughts and suggestions and especially the congrats on retirement (its going to be an adjustment).   Lots of suggestions … i can enjoy the thrill of doing research on then going to listen to!
My JA Perspectives only have a sensitivity of ~84 dB, but do present a pretty stable 8 ohm load. I’m thinking my current 70 w/ch doesn't provide “sufficient headroom” for these speakers.  @chenry I know there’s more to delivering dynamics and bass note attack/decay than watts, but I’m not sure a lower powered amp like the Sugden Signature, at 30 w/ch will provide the improvement I’m looking for. 
@soix , I’m definitely open to and leaning towards the Hybrid integrated architecture to play to both their strengths.

 @corelli to answer your question, maybe, with age, I’ve become sensitive to the upper register instruments. An alto sax is like fingers on a chalkboard. That was the same with my previous Vincent integrated. As a result, i avoid listening to music featuring them. 
@ghdprentice I’ve read many of your posts over the years and because of that, have kept my eye on Audio Research products looking for deals on the used marketplaces. I’m definitely in the fiscal conservative stage of early retirement making AR out of reach even used and still would have tubes to replace. 
@noromance I hear you on the cost of replacement tubes ($340 is a little on the low side for 8 power tubes though depending on the tube). As i mentioned, I’m also wanting to improve the SQ of my current all tube amp. If you’re suggesting I can achieve the SQ I described by merely switching just to a different pre-amp tube for the current 6 Primaluna label tubes then that is yet another path that I hadn’t considered. 

rizzo1234
12 posts
 

Sugden Masterclass IA-4 (Class A integrated 33 wpc into 8ohms)

$5000 on the used market

chenry's avatar
chenry
202 posts
 

McIntosh MA 8950.

mgrif104
351 posts
 

Perhaps there’s a different way to approach this.

You might want to connect with Ralph at Atmosphere regarding his Class D amps which are supposed to be wonderful (please note - I haven’t heard them). Ralph is a long time tube amp manufacturer who is now selling class D amps which have the tonal richness of tubes, though a lower distortion profile and is more stable with impedance variables. You could acquire his class D monos and put the remainder toward a nice preamp all while staying within your budget. 

At least something to consider.

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