kidproquo Posted July 31, 2003 Share Posted July 31, 2003 Hi guys, I have a heard a lot about how great tube amps are and I wanna give it a shot. Would like to ask y'all on this. I have a pair of Klipsch RP-3s which are part of a HT system, powered by a Kenwood VR-6070. I would like to go for a decent tube amp, to be connected to the Kenwood's pre-outs, to power the RP3s. Which amp would u suggest for a newbie like me? The main issue is price. I would like to get something in the 100-200$ range. I know this ain't a lot..but I am just a poor student!! I was checking out some of the auctions at Ebay, but have no idea what to go for. Any suggestions? -Kid Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minn_male42 Posted July 31, 2003 Share Posted July 31, 2003 about two weeks ago i got a dynaco sca-35 integrated tube amp off of ebay.... i use it as a power amp for my main klf-30's.... i won the auction at $151... good luck with your search for tubes..... by far...my best investment ever!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kidproquo Posted July 31, 2003 Author Share Posted July 31, 2003 Hmmm...I just checked Ebay and I find that there's an auction for the sca-35, ending in 4 days. It's currently at 100$. Will keep a close watch on that. By the way, there's another auction happenning for the Eico HF-20. Could anyone post some comments on this amp? How is it? And how much should one be willing to spend on it? -Kid Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T2K Posted August 1, 2003 Share Posted August 1, 2003 I ran across an ad the other day for an Eico HFXX for around $180. Don't remember right off the top of my head where it was, but if you're interested I'll look for it. As a side note, I doubt a tube amp will give worthwhile improvement to the RP's. Just my opinion. YMMV. Keith Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Robinson Posted August 1, 2003 Share Posted August 1, 2003 You might email NOSValves (Craig Ostby). He usually has a clean deal on a vintage refurbished integrated. You need to be careful buying vintage stuff on Ebay because it could be a rats nest of aging capacitors, resistors, et al. Craig goes through his stuff and cleans it up. Also, if you're going the tube amp route, a tube pre-amp is a good idea. All the tube amp is going to do using the Kenwood's pre-out is amplify a solid state signal. I think you'll find not much difference to the overall Kenwood sound. I think this is why a vintage Scott, Eico, Fisher integrated amp makes sense. Just my opinion! Good luck, but email Craig, he won't steer you wrong. He's a nice guy and a wealth of knowledge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Posted August 1, 2003 Share Posted August 1, 2003 I dont agree with some of the posts above. I think that since the amplifiers power the device that has the greatest impact on the quality of the sound in a music and movie reproduction system, the loudspeakers, their role is critical. In my experience, the power amplifier made more of a tangible difference (changed the frequency response, in fact), than the pre-amplifier does. So, though speakers are the only bargain in audio you get the most bang for your buck and amplifiers are the sinkholes of stereo; you need to spend about as much on the amplifiers as you did on the loudspeakers in order to get the appropriate amplifier quality for your speakers. If you spend a lot of time listening to the details of your music, you will certainly notice the long term benefits of tube amplification on super-sensitive horns: they dont wear out our ears! If you want to be frugal about it, I would consider 1) the punchy $99 ASL Wave 8 monoblocks (new), 2) refurbished Dynaco, EICO or Scott power or integrated amplifiers from NOSvalves 3) new ASL and Jolida integrateds. You see, I whisper softly, lest anyone perceive me rude: horns love tubes! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deang Posted August 1, 2003 Share Posted August 1, 2003 I think a speaker like the RP-3 stands to benefit the most from tube amplification since the majority of the low bass is offloaded to the powered drivers. A moderately powered tube amp driving the horn and 6.5 midbass would sound killer. I pretty much agree with Colin here on his recommendations, though I think the $99 Waves from ASL might not be enough for serious driving. A refurbished Scott integrated is your best bet -- and you might want to scrape together another couple of hundred. Better to wait and get what is right for your system. The main reason I say this is because you really need a tubed preamp section to go along with the amplifier power to get the true benefit of what tubes have to offer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NOSValves Posted August 1, 2003 Share Posted August 1, 2003 I have found thru testing that even the most mediocre tube amps come to life with a nice Tube Preamp. For instance MoparDave bought that Chinese Audcom semi integrated (has a volume control) EL-34 based power amp. Its sounds descent being fed direct from a CD player but put a nice preamp in front of it and the sound field and detail come to life. Even a Solid State amp has new meaning with a nice tube preamp pushing it. The vintage Scott, Fisher, Dynaco, Heathkits, EICO and so on are incredible values once brought up to good working order. With integrated amps coming in as the ultimate bang for the buck. Craig Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kidproquo Posted August 1, 2003 Author Share Posted August 1, 2003 Thanx for all the info guys! Again, I knew I wouldn't be disappointed on this forum ;-) Anyway, I have a few doubts. Please forgive my ignorance. An integrated amp comes with a pre-amp and a power amp, rt? So, if I go the integrated route, how would I hook it up with the Kenwood? I had thought I would connect the Kenwood pre-outs to the tube amp, but Chris points out that this won't make much of a difference. Comments? Thoughts? -Prince Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ssh Posted August 1, 2003 Share Posted August 1, 2003 You wouldn't use the Kenwood with an integrated.You have been given best advice by Craig.I would talk to him about what he has & forget about the Kenwood.He has provided me with stellar work on two integrated tube amps. ssh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lshannon Posted August 1, 2003 Share Posted August 1, 2003 I just set up an inexpensive tube system: Antique Sound Lab AV-8s tube monoblocs (8 watts each) - $119.00 ($238.00 for the pair)( I actually bought four of them and tossed two into my attic for a later bi-amping of speakers or surround system) http://www.divertech.com/antiquesl.html Dynaco PAS-2 Tube Pre-amp - $150.00 The ASL AV-8s sound great and are plenty lound with my klipsch cornwalls. They are a great deal for the money and if you don't like them you could probably sell them for what you have into them. - Lee Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lshannon Posted August 1, 2003 Share Posted August 1, 2003 My earlier post did not seem to go through. I put together a tube system cheaply: Dynaco pas2 tube preamp and 2 Antique Sound Lab AV-8s tube amps (8 watts each). I am very happy with the sound and volume. I may upgrade the pas2 preamp with some mods but for now I am enjoying my entry into the tube world on a budget very much. 8 tube watts seem to be more than enough for really efficient speakers. - Lee Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jt1stcav Posted August 3, 2003 Share Posted August 3, 2003 For what it's worth, I owned an AMC CVT1030s tube preamp ($360 new a few years ago on eBay), connected to my Cornwalls with a SS McIntosh MC7200 power amp. Talking about the sound opening up...a tremendous improvement over the Carver C-4000 preamp I had previously! I can just imagine what a great SET or PP tube amp would've done to the sonics...alas, being laid off (and having to sell all my gear) changed all that. I don't know what to tell you if you want to keep your Kenwood AV receiver as a preamp to your RP-3s and the rest of your HT rig. I don't own a HT so I'm out of touch with HT products...is there a vacuum tube AV receiver/processor out on the market? If so, I'm sure it would cost a small fortune, and not within your price range. Are you willing to settle for a rebuilt/restored 2-channel integrated tube amp from NOSValves, and forego DD/DTS processing to watch movies? As stated before, just buying a tube amp may not make much of a sonic difference while using your Kenwood as a preamp/processor. I hope others here far more knowledgable in this field than I can answer your questions...Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Robinson Posted August 3, 2003 Share Posted August 3, 2003 JT, sorry you've been laid off. There is no shame in that these days. Just about everybody I know is going through it. I hope you find a fun job soon. Back to the topic, vintage integrated is probably the best way to get sonic bliss at a value price. You won't need to worry about the pre- or the amps- or even a phono section ... They're all there. You just need to find one that had a thorough going-over. Take your wife/SO out to dinner with all the money you'll save. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jt1stcav Posted August 3, 2003 Share Posted August 3, 2003 Thanks Chris. I did find a good job at a new Guitar Center in town. Granted, the pay is much lower than before, but it sure beats the alternative! But what about Kid's plight of getting into tube gear for his HT system? He'd really need at least 2 or 3 tube amps for his mains and center channel (more for surrounds). Or would he really hear much difference as has been stated earlier? Are there any vacuum tube AV receivers out there with all the latest processing? There are fabulous tube options for 2-channel audio like you said, but it seems HT is strictly a SS affair...too bad! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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