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
Sugden, Luxman or Accuphase. Many come around to that conclusion. I've owned, appreciated and enjoyed immensely several high end tubed components over decades. All American handmade; Manley, VTL, De Havilland. In the end I tired of the tube chase. 8K brings really nice stuff. Best of luck in your search. |
Congratulations on joining the rank of us retired. I purchased a Pass amp as my retirement gift and I'm glad I did as it's given me hours of musical enjoyment. Another company I haven't seen mentioned is Parasound, both of these companies have a somewhat tube like sound and put out plenty of power to the speakers. Good luck, enjoy the music. |
@celtic66 not to get off topic, but my wife and I lived in Boston 1980 - 1982. Great time to be a Celtics fan and go to the Boston Garden! |
Again my many thanks to your thoughts, ideas, and suggestions! @corelli thank you for the link to the original JA Perspective Stereophile review. I had read that back when doing my speaker research. I see a Pass Labs INT-250 on US Audiomart for $7,600 that seems to match several Audiogon member recommendations and should provide the same synergies John Atkinson described in his article. |
