What integrated would you recommend for summer amp?
Hey all, I'm feeling sinful for running my Primaluna Dialogue HP integrated all summer long. It pumps out modest heat but it does push the A/C to run longer and all that seems wasteful.
Thing is, I want to keep life simple and within my means right now. So, I'm thinking the budget needs to be ~$1k new/used. Here's my setup now:
AC to cool a room is around 18,000 BTUs. The Prima Luna puts out about 400 BTUs. It only seems like a lot of heat because its concentrated in so small a space. But really its beyond insignificant. Once again science liberates from the chains of wokeness freeing you to enjoy your tube amp.
Speaking of freedom, your $1k together with selling the PL could get you out of Made in China and into a sweet Made in the USA Raven Blackhawk. That would sound better too.
Agree with MC. I’m as green as I can be but you’re not playing a zero sum game here. Let the AC eat the heat but mow your yard less or hold off on flushing every pee etc.
@millercarbon Is the Internet big enough to contain you when you get the Raven and the Moabs? ;-)
I went through this exercise not too long ago in my computer room. I have a ductless split A/C unit in my house, but this room doesn't get a lot of flow from it and with my computer, all the attached hard drives, and my ARC Vsi55, it would get pretty warm in this room during the summer.
I bought a second hand Vincent SV 237 for just a little over $1K and moved the Vsi55 into my office, which is bigger and stays cooler.
With the stock tube, it had a little bit of an "edge", but the preamp section seems pretty responsive to tube rolling and I replaced the stock tube with a Tung-Sol 12AX7A and the stock 6N1P-EV tubes with Voskhod 6N1P tubes and it sounds fantastic with my Harbeth P3ESR speakers. Very detailed, but "smoother" without that bit of edginess it had with the stock tubes. It has more than enough power to make your Fortes really sing.
Having said all that, in my limited listening experience at a dealer showroom, the Primaluna gear seems to match up really well with Klipsch speakers. I think it's a little "euphonic" and am not sure I could live with it long term, but it is seductive. If that's one of the things you love about your system, you will probably loose that with most SS options.
+1 with MC, I have the same Primaluna Dialogue HP integrated in my bedroom and even though it does get warm it's not enough to heat up your room so that your AC would have to work extra to cool off the whole house.As for the Raven integrated I would go with the
Osprey MK3
instead of the Raven
Blackhawk MK3, if that was the route you wanted to go in.
The issue IS heat concentrated in a small place and the extra cost of cooling. Not “wokeness” which is just a derogatory modern political buzzword for something that someone could care less about but others do often for good reason.
Do your self a favor and call Dave Thomson at Raven Audio in Texas. Even if you don't buy a Raven integrated he is a wealth of knowledge plus they offer a money back guarantee. What have you got to lose? I have owned Raven ----just an outstanding amp..
My room has its own AC unit and dedicated thermostat. The room is noticeably warmer with the amp on and the AC runs more. I also have two other pieces of tube gear as noted above. So the three of them put out a bit of heat. Great amp suggestions. I’m off to research them. I don’t need much juice as my speakers are efficient. The Quad, Raven and Sprout are interesting.
I’ve been very pleased with my Bel Canto C5i. It’s class D so puts out very little heat. They list new for $2K but I bought mine as a dealer demo for $1,200 a few years back. They should be less than that if you find one used.
BTW, it was a replacement for a tube amp (Image 65i with KT88s). I kind of miss the glow of the tubes from time to time, but I have nothing to complain about with the Bel Canto's sound. It is excellent.
Wow! What a concept! Wheee! An audio store's wet dream, seasonal amps. I use two Audire powered systems and one Bryston powered. All I need is to set up my old Adcom and I can have a system for each season.
For the the OP I would think on SS, as a former owner of AS2100 it is an excellent integrated, just $1600 $1800 used, great mosfets inside (I'm all tube BTW) but coming from the SS world I remember good times with the Yamaha, you could connect your MM stage directly to it.
@luisma31, I have been looking at Yamaha. The build quality is super and the company is really committed right now.
@ebm, I'm not getting rid of anything. You always seem to make abrupt posts that have a negative tone. Try saying something constructive and insightful. If you have knowledge to share, it's welcome.
I bought a “summer” amp because I don’t like to use the AC much and my Almarro, with its 6c33c tubes, runs so hot normally that I wanted to save it from burning itself up! Reason I put summer in double quotes is because it was also an excuse for me to buy an amp I’d had years ago but now my speakers are a better match and I’m happy to have it again for a change whatever the season. It’s a red wine audio signature 30.2 lfp-v, runs cool as it is solid state with a (single) tube input stage and a deal at $600.
Man,the last week I've had a Creek Evolution 50a with Ruby DAC board in my living room..The first SS amp I've lived with in about 12 years & color me mighty impressed!The headphone circuit is world class,rivaling the hi end tube amps I've lived with(Woo,modded APPJ Audio PA1502 & Cavalli)...Listening through my Harbeth M30.1's is sooo close to my tube amp I am going to sell it & the Creek & move up to something in the $2500.00-$5000.00 range like a Goldnote is-1000 or Micromega M-One...
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