klipsch2345 Posted December 19, 2002 Share Posted December 19, 2002 Ive noticed that posters on this forum like old amps better than new amps. Does this just apply to new ss vs. old with tubes or would you take old ss over new ss? I have Klipsch RP-5 speakers as some of you may have seen in my other post and they are currently on a Sony STR-D311 and I have the option of picking up an old Sanyo DCA-411 Integrated Amp for like $20. I can't seem to find much info on it and was wondering is that even worth buying or should i stick with my sony for now? P.S. Although I am a new poster on this forum, I have been reading it for a while and have gained a lot of the little audio knowledge I have from this forum. You guys are always a big help. Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Robinson Posted December 19, 2002 Share Posted December 19, 2002 Well, first, welcome to the board ... You will indeed find a wealth of knowledge and opinions. If you're lurking in the 2-ch forum, you can just forget about SS for the most part ... The rule of thumb is generally "horns and tubes" ... I think the operational logic thereafter is SET vs. Push-Pull, low wattage vs high wattage, monoblocks vs integrated. Much of the vintage discussion revolves around integrated (Eico, Scott) and much of the SET revolves around low end (ASL) vs. high end (Welborne, Wright) and then super premium brands ($$$). There is definitely a value curve on this forum (V=utility/price) so the discussions are lively. And, of course, there is watts and decibels vs. sonic perfection. SS plays in there somewhere, along with discussions of ear wax build-up and head-banging percussiveness. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mobile homeless Posted December 19, 2002 Share Posted December 19, 2002 Good summary Chris! I think there is a healthy mix of old and new with various topoligies/amp types as Chris outlined above. Many in here will have GREAT vintage amps as well as quality modern gear, especially in the SET amp range. The important factor is that the ultra high efficiency of Klipsch speakers, especially the vintage Heritage Klipsch, open you up to all sorts of amplification choices with LOW WATT examples in full swing. The first watt is oh so important and the low watt brethren seem to get this closer to home over the high watt counterparts. Of course, as in all of life/reality, exceptions are expected. kh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HDBRbuilder Posted December 19, 2002 Share Posted December 19, 2002 Well...although the majority of the discussion in THIS two-channel forum centers around tube equipment, it is, after all...a two channel forum! Sometimes I feel like I may be the only one with any real interest at all in anything S/S in here, but the fact is...for the vast majority of folks anywhere, if what they have at home is two-channel, then it is most likely powered by S/S. and NOT tubes! That is the reality of things. And to ignore that reality is to leave an awful lot of people out in this particular section of the bulletin board! IMHO! Now, don't get me wrong, I really DO like the tube sound, and I plan to eventually have a tube stereo set-up of my own! This particular part of the forum is a great place to learn about tube equipment, modifications for it, and such...But IMHO, we members of this forum, and this two-channel section, in particular, need to be open to things besides just the tube end of things, don't you agree? It seems to me at times, that to some members' minds, it is beneath them to discuss anything solid-state, but I am hoping that will change soon! After all...when discussing stereo systems, we need to include ALL who show an interest, not just concentrate on those with a specific niche interest WITHIN stereo...that is only fair...especially when to so very many now-a-days, in this time of ever-increasing number of channel systems(ie., 4.0, 4.1, 5.1, 6.1, etc....), having "just a two-channel system" is akin to being some sort of dinosaur fossil! We need all the 2-channel lovers we can get!! TUBE folks and S/S folks need to UNITE for the good of 2-channel!! Agreed? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deang Posted December 19, 2002 Share Posted December 19, 2002 Keep the Sony. Hell, I didn't even know Sanyo made audio equipment. RP-5's are powered, so -- it's not like the Sony is under that much of a strain. Next thing you buy, if you stay with solid state receivers, make sure it's discrete. You're looking at Sony ES, or Onkyo. It helps if you tell us more about what you like to listen to, how loud, how big your room is, what other equipment you have, what your goals are, etc... Andy, I like solid state. I like my Aragon. I like Onkyo. I like power:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
klipsch2345 Posted December 19, 2002 Author Share Posted December 19, 2002 Im currently under the impression that tube amps are quite expensive. Is that the truth? I really dont know that much about tubes except that i have a old guitar amp that has a tube amp in it and I'm gussing that those are 2 completly different things. Im not apposed to tubes I just dont know if they are in my budget. I just want to get the most out of my speakers without selling a kidney to buy an amp. My listening room is about 16x16 and since my sony 5-disc cd player decided to go on strike im using a PS2 and I also have a magnavox vcr hooked up to it and thats it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HDBRbuilder Posted December 20, 2002 Share Posted December 20, 2002 For around 400 bucks(sometimes less), and some luck on eBay, you can end up with a pretty decent stereo tube set-up(amp/preamp or integrated amp, and FM tuner), that will definitely open your eyes! After that it becomes a matter of "upgrade-itis"...and the sky is the limit. Just compare that investment to what many spend on new mid-grade S/S equipment today. But, then again, you can also find some very nice S/S stuff even cheaper than that 400 bucks....sometimes MUCH cheaper!! It all depends on what you want to begin with...and only you can know that answer! I am probably the "king" of cheap in here!! LOL! I search out the best damned bargains I know of...for anything!! But for the tube stuff, what WAS possible a couple of years ago to buy for a very low price, has gone up quite a bit since then. In the S/S market, that is happening too, BUT there are still a few "unrediscovered sleepers" out there...just a few!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TEC14576 Posted January 20, 2003 Share Posted January 20, 2003 I am driving a set of Forte's with a Sansui AU-X701 (100w per ch). In your opinion, is this a good match? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dale W Posted January 20, 2003 Share Posted January 20, 2003 Another point to take into consideration is a lot of guy's lurking in here are hands on diy guy's . Tube amps afford that possibility were as ss gear is much harder to manipulate components. I have a passion for both, my ss gear is capible of almost ear bleeding volume (if thats your thing) and affords tons of headroom for HT application. Kick *** gut wrenching hard rock will remain barffing out of my ss system. But the tube gear will be used for music i want to hear produced in the manner which was intended by the artist without added electronic sonics. IMHO Don't get me wrong there is ss gear out there can can keep up to a nice tube set up, but most of it is out of the average mans price range. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.