tfoust Posted January 20, 2011 Share Posted January 20, 2011 Need some input. Over the years I've agonized over getting the best hifi stereo sound I could afford and been dissappointed much of the time. Many factors influence what winds up in one's listening room which include availablity of good choices. I my area there aren't any high end stores to visit and if there were the rooms and connected equipment don't match what you have at home so a great disadvantage looms over some of us is our quest for good audio. Since I discovered the used market online I have purchased several amplifiers to see for myself what they sound like. I agree that tube amps sound more three dimensional and tend to favor them over solid state. I want to go beyond the entry level amps and get into higher quality but it's hard to know what a good choice would be for my Heresy IIs and LaScalas. I can roll the dice for a $250 Dynaco or Eico but I just can't justify buying a $1,500 McIntosh without hearing it first. I see the prices for the Mac components and I have to wonder if I had it in my home, could I hear $1,000 or $2,000 worth of difference compared to what I have. For those of you that have some of the better amplifers, what is your advice for going about an upgrade? Is McIntosh just for snobs who can spend a lot or are they really an easy best choice for two channel systems? Given my concern about price/performance balance, would I be just as happy staying with vintage Luxman, Rotel and the like? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juniper8 Posted January 20, 2011 Share Posted January 20, 2011 T faust, welcome to this nice place!!!!! maybe you could tell forum members what you are looking "for" as far as sound? What types of music you listen too. I have been at this only a short time but I have found that we all hear things differently and we perceive things very differently!!!! My amp choice may not be your's and your's may not be mine. The nice thing is that if you define what you are looking for and in a price range someone here can and will help! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tfoust Posted January 21, 2011 Author Share Posted January 21, 2011 Thank you guys for your responses. I listen to Jazz, Blues and Classical-type mostly with some pop and rock on a less frequent basis. The sound I want to hear is that which sounds good at moderate to low volumes, I want to feel like the musicians are right there in my house. I have listened to a couple of SS amps for several years. One was an Onkyo 100 wpc and the other was a HK Citation 100 wpc and the image from my LaScalas was compressed and flat sounding. I have a Sofia electric Baby Amp playing now that has a more three dimensional sound. Reviewers say it is just barely a contender so I want to find another step up. I see the Mac tube amps go for much more than I want to pay and I'm afraid a SS Mac will not be sweet enough. I have a family at home so I'm not free to kick out the walls on either the amount I spend or the amount of time my music plays so I want to stay under $1,500 in my search. Maybe this is unrealistic. If it is then maybe I'm already there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tromprof Posted January 21, 2011 Share Posted January 21, 2011 I have a Sofia electric Baby Amp playing now that has a more three dimensional sound. Reviewers say it is just barely a contender so I want to find another step up. The Sophia is a pretty nice amp, esp. for the La Scalas which don't take much power. At a certain point it comes down to preferences more than anything. For what it;s worth I really like my Grant Fidelity A-534B, a tube amp using 300B tubes. You might however get more of a bang for your buck if you spend a little upgrading/refreshing the crossovers etc. in the speakers themselves. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuBXeRo Posted January 21, 2011 Share Posted January 21, 2011 buying used at a good price is a smart idea. I only buy something i know i can turn aprofit on on craigslist. I dont get to hear everything i want but i have gotten some experience. McIntosh is expensive gear but its high quality. I dont know if its worth the price in the end though. They do however produce some of the most powerful tube amps on the market Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tube fanatic Posted January 21, 2011 Share Posted January 21, 2011 The sound I want to hear is that which sounds good at moderate to low volumes, I want to feel like the musicians are right there in my house. plays so I want to stay under $1,500 in my search. Maybe this is unrealistic. If it is then maybe I'm already there. Check out Steve Deckert's designs: http://www.decware.com/newsite/homepage.htmlHis amps have a huge following and are perfect for the kind of listening you described. In addition, they're brand new, and I believe come with a lifetime warranty! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ski Bum Posted January 21, 2011 Share Posted January 21, 2011 +1 on the Decware recommendation. They're about the least expensive amps I've found which are able to provide the full fledged SET thing. Lifetime warranty is correct. Even if you find one used on Audiogon, if you send it to Steve for inspection/mods/updates, he'll extend the warranty to cover you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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