Tube Integrated Amp

[Audio Flynn]

On 1/15/2024 at 11:24 AM, Don A. Childs said:

I'm have sympathy for price restraint..... however...I have crawled up product lines buying the next upgrade in my components until it dawned on me that if I added up the cost of replacing this or that multiple times was adding up to an amount I thought I couldn't "justify".  The Klipsch speaker line is an example. I've owned almost everything but the Khorn and Jubilee. If I had just bought my Lascalas immediately I would have saved a considerable sum. (Although all my friends and family now own some great speakers! lol My son enjoys his RF7's!)) After buying SS amps/receivers I decided to stop this tactic. After MUCH consideration I bought the Raven Audio Nighthawk tube integrated. Lascala and Raven is a match that will blow your mind. BUT at $2999 it far exceeds your dollar limit by a wild margin. However....you don't know what will finally scratch that itch. (One hopes that Maybe the cheaper step will be ok until the lower performance drives you crazy)

I use quite a bit of restraint on amplifier purchases. DACs and Transports I have changed every few years since 2003 or so.

 

Should have bought Meridian, Bel Canto, Benchmark or equivalent performance DAC years ago.

[JohnA]

On 12/18/2023 at 7:29 PM, NOSValves said:

 

 

I'd agree with the above. I used a few different vintage Kenwood/Trio like in the links I provided in the Livingroom and my Study when I ended up with 4 grandchildren running around here. All but one room is back to tubes now. But anything tubed in the couple hundred is going to either be a headache or sound like dung. These Kenwood/Trio sound pretty darn good and if you're into vinyl have a decent phono section. I was lucky though I found 2 decent examples at an estate sale for $40 each. DO make sure whomever you buy one from warranties it works in all respects as it should. I am not at all affiliated or know the people selling them in the links just showing you examples.

 

1)  https://www.ebay.com/itm/196138553770?hash=item2daac4d1aa:g:Z6EAAOSwkn1lf2G-&amdata=enc%3AAQAIAAABAPnjAiYzerT0b5mtVGdimT%2B7HgxtZb4qyFhVSA16n%2FSDzVfqZDnYl9Sf7qRjljxnXIoa61oPheP%2BypHXxHNWoxCfjMbmQlZPCUEJ9EEqrNGMCC5W9bcq5e3x%2BNew6S4vF6fq1NTQWjbeBr0JllTxvteE0K4pAWBLanUgcA0WyY2mECr9ohVM4ipYxY2wlSPygvTqt6HujS5Zxs0Cua2zibmq%2Bsuk2vVA3kSTIGMY9TYWAomgMWwCTNF%2F7VGe443zlg9db1cjhldeskZy1fUjXSipQ0q1FL02BGpHUiQtNwrjdOl1yg3sRvGS4SGqNb3Lrb2xikp940P%2Fq9iEjo4Tr94%3D|tkp%3ABk9SR76nhfWPYw

 

2)  https://www.ebay.com/itm/375125558953?hash=item575739c6a9:g:GA0AAOSwBtBlfmxi&amdata=enc%3AAQAIAAABAEkQwDfKfOKHar%2B%2Bx1is5AN8gTkhvfleXY3pjvaL%2BIays71HuLD%2BV9OYc8wziqiLYeZHuxatE1jyy0r7XKHhdJ4uh5afYLrOtdP0sjYWbaBlQrIjd9Suw%2FHGQ5PXenJbej1WHFDRPeg6Cc5ToEj4nWZoCNaguDSN2Of%2FPv4q5C1%2FU%2F3zykB8OlCKCyt7R10KgzuX%2FRNZg%2FFVjD4avLe1tjN1WavsYKZw%2BxN%2FkW1QZYTsRw%2FFnfsrfXfVCZg%2FRf0brArf3XvXCKM%2BMFzaykU%2BtPXLtST0l%2Fw%2F5zUm0afKBBiekoVCLXBsEYOXDz6T6VxhZwH0xXzK1GFBLPZoV9vxXjQ%3D|tkp%3ABk9SR76nhfWPYw

 

3) https://www.ebay.com/itm/155679870776?hash=item243f3e4f38:g:PT0AAOSwlsZkuxUv&amdata=enc%3AAQAIAAAA4Lml0HuuMIz63x98dboj68DGYaIIUDv4VxHQ0Vev%2FcU0mEwIp52zUAu6RfG6OvKJj1tY2T%2BXyM2UgK0xxZ1ViNQIrSyZiMN5C%2FkeecOe%2FqQcrV37bJaVSCLujV4khRHS%2BJDVVfiGPNLNp9cZcPCVfTqrJEQXDgB1jw8PSE2QavSh%2B6aGaGdfyaX4Z4FB2a%2F2nrd%2F%2FOJpCedbhwKhCapYNZQ8XQD5vTrW72diC1UzxP4oq%2By2nJMNyVyIq3IhJ0sdx%2BzWkPKyob5sx7F7e7IYu0HG%2BHiQihWgRe3JQM4aJ1KL|tkp%3ABk9SR8CnhfWPYw

 

I had a KA-7100 in college, driving a pair of Marantz Imperial 7s.  I had a Kenwood tuner and used a crusty Thorens TD-124 that I still have.  😁

[Audio Flynn]

On 1/16/2024 at 11:30 AM, NOSValves said:

 

  It is a great clip .. great clip full of BS! Reviewers are just a piece in the massive machine that keeps the audiofool business rolling. The idea that some new refreshing tricks have been found in tube audio some nearly 60 years after they were mainstream is just silly... Solid State has also been figured out to a T for decades hence the reason Klipsch still has those great crown amps! They also have tube amps in house too! The reviewers job is to keep the BS rolling over top of audiofools heads! Get that money!

 

Logically, cable reviews of any kind prove bias at least. Of course there is wining and dining by manufacturers like there used to be in the pharmaceutical and auto industries.

I am in recent weeks going through 30 years of cables. Six DACs over 20 years with Blue Jean and two quality levels of Audioquest without hearing any difference.

 

I purposely use pretty basic speaker cable. Home Depot, Parts Express and Mogami. I may have tricked myself into thinking Mogami was better than Home Depot with Belles.

 

If a reviewer gets too animated about cables, I find that disingenuous and his or her other reviews suspect.