33klfan Posted October 5, 2005 Share Posted October 5, 2005 What brands of ss are good to buy used that were towards the hi end side, but are down in price because of being used. $500 to $1000, or cheaper. I have read a fair amount about tubes, and i think they seem to be really good, and most people say they don't go back once they listen to them, but i am just up for other interests on the ss side also, like why ss might be a better choice. Like advantages and disadvantages between tube and ss. I'm just looking for different brands to research so I can get a perspective on the ss side. Mostly used i am looking for but in perfect working condition just to get an idea of costs and what the different companies give, audio wise. Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dragonfyr Posted October 5, 2005 Share Posted October 5, 2005 Let me get the other side of the fence. Who considers solid state integrated amplifiers a true predecessor to the tube amp. What brands of ss are good to buy used that were towards the hi end side, but are down in price because of being used. I have a read a fair amount about tubes, and i think they seem to be really good, and most people say they don't go back once they listen to them, but i am just up for other interests on the ss side also, like why ss might be a better choice. This post might be toward the ss fans but anybody can have a say. Thanks. The care and feeding are easier and cheaper. Despite those few who seem to contend that tubes last nearly forever!! Yeah, right! Now, to go back to the "Who considers solid state integrated amplifiers a true predecessor to the tube amp". A natural presupposition as the transistor was around for a good 30-40 years before the tube was developed, so I can naturally understand the reasoning behind the statement![] After all, it became increasing difficult to manufacture tubes with the many environmental groups who became so very active in their campaign to protect the rare and endangered vacuum, as well as the increasingly precarious and risky international trade in illegal vacuums, thus making SS amps a much more attractive option. Are you sure that is what you meant to say!?[] Now, if folks would just wake up to the precarious plight of the neoprenes and naughas!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3dzapper Posted October 5, 2005 Share Posted October 5, 2005 dragonfyr, You bad!!! Rick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tigerwoodKhorns Posted October 5, 2005 Share Posted October 5, 2005 You are really laboring the decision to buy. I did the same thing when I got started. From my personal experience. I reccomend: Around $500 budget: If you want all tubes, go for a rebuilt Scott. I had an NOS VAlves LK-48 that sounded awesome with my K Horns. When I upgraded to separates, I was able to sell for almost what I had into the amp. They hold their value and sound great, can't go wrong. I would have kept the Scott for a second system, but I use electrostats in my small system and the tubes don't have enough power. About $1200 Get a Juicy Music Merlin preamp and a QSC 1202 SS amp. I run a Peach and a QSC and it is so clear and smooth. The Merlin is a tube preamp and the QSC is SS. teh QSC also has tons of headroom and will really wake up a set of speakers. You can also go with a Carver if you want a tripath amp. Go with a used Crown or QSC to save some bucks if that is a concern. CD Player: For a source, try a used Jolida or AH! Njoe CD player. It will set you back $600 to $700 (or more depending on options). If that is too much, try finding a used Philips 963 DVD player and add a $25 Black Gate capacitor. Awesome player for the money. EQ Later, add a $250 Behringer 2496 digital EQ. Money very well spent. Speakers: Big old heritage, what else? (K horns, Belles, La Scala, Cornwall). If space and corners are a problem, try the cornwalls, they are keepers and will fit into a room beter than the other models. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
33klfan Posted October 5, 2005 Author Share Posted October 5, 2005 First of all thanks for the options, but i am not starting out on a new system. I am just looking into strictly 2 channel in the future as well as my home theater. I have a Rotel RCD-1072 with NAD T753 and Klipsch SF-1's for 2 channel and the rw-8 for bass. For home theater I use all of that except the rotel, plus sc-1, rs-25's and panasonic dvd player. I am mainly just looking into different options for when i do strictly 2 channel. I have in mind an integrated or using a pre or amp and hooking it into my NAD, but i really would like to avoid using the NAD, unless you have an opinion here about that choice, i'll gladly listen. For tubes the vintage scott 299b was on my mind, but i am looking for ideas on solid state choices right now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
33klfan Posted October 5, 2005 Author Share Posted October 5, 2005 Are you sure that is what you meant to say!? I don't think i want to use the word predecessor, I mainly meant who thinks solid state integrated amplifiers compete with tube amps, and why they may be better; including sound and so on. I hope this clears things up. Sorry for the confusion. I understand your reaction to the original statement though, but yeah that's not what i meant even though you responded correctly to that statement. Oh well now u know what i mean now that i revised it. Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seti Posted October 5, 2005 Share Posted October 5, 2005 It's like ice cream man try as many flavors as you can. I have heard KaiserSetSay's BAT SS amp and it is sounds great but I think his BAT pre and phono pre are tube. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whell Posted October 5, 2005 Share Posted October 5, 2005 Let me get the other side of the fence. Who considers solid state integrated amplifiers a true predecessor to the tube amp. What brands of ss are good to buy used that were towards the hi end side, but are down in price because of being used. I have a read a fair amount about tubes, and i think they seem to be really good, and most people say they don't go back once they listen to them, but i am just up for other interests on the ss side also, like why ss might be a better choice. This post might be toward the ss fans but anybody can have a say. Thanks. If you're looking for reccommendations, here's mine. Those in the know don't classify this amp as "sounding like tubes", as it seems to have a sound all its own. All I know is that on my system with my RF-7's, its the best sound I've ever had in my house, and the best my RF-7's have ever sounded next to a listening session with Craig's VRD's. http://psaudio.com/products/hca.asp This is the PS Audio HCA-2 amp, the first generation of their "Hybrid Class A" digital amps. This little beast rocks with a vengance, and at the prices that they are available for on Audiogon, its as close to a "no brainer" as I've ever had. Yup, you're right, its not an integrated amp. However, for the price of this and it's companion pre-amp, you're still in a compretitive price range with some good quality tube integrateds, and the price/performance ratio is very compelling. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
imperfectcircle25 Posted October 6, 2005 Share Posted October 6, 2005 Having owned both SS and tubes, I have come to the conclusion that for the music I listen to metal, rock, hardcore... a SS amp is definitly the way to go. Try using tubes someplace in the system though, a tube cd player or pre-amp is a good idea. The Njoe Tjoeb 4000, Eastern Electric Minimax and Unison Unico cd players are all great tube cd players which can be had for under $1k used. The Eastern Electric Minimax pre, Rogue 66, Quicksilver linestage, Manley Shrimp are some great tuibe pre-amps that can be had under $1k. And here are a bunch of amplifiers both power amp and integrateds that will give you a taste of how good a hi-end SS amp can sound with out breaking the bank. If your using some high effciency speakers remeber you dont need a ton of power and one of the lower power Class-A amps may give you excellent results, the Pass Aelph is an example of a lower powered class A amplifer that is excellent and can better much more powerful and expensive amps. POWEER AMPS: Mcoormack DNA-1 Aragon 4004, 8008 Pass Aelph 3 Monarchy SM70, se100 Naim Nap250 Forte model 4a Krell KSA50 Belles 150a hotrod Classe 25 INTEGRATED AMP: Creek 5350se Naim Nait5i Exposure XV, XXV Sugden a21 Unison Unico(hybrid) Plinius 8200 Bryston b60 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
33klfan Posted October 6, 2005 Author Share Posted October 6, 2005 That PS audio sounds nice from reviews, but it sounds like they're around $1,000 except for one i saw on audiogon for $600, but it's some modding place and i don't know if they already did the mods or if they could do them if u wanted them to, which is what i think they mean. I'm mainly just in the research stage right now and want to see what people think of SS and BRAND recommendations. I know a lot of people must be tubeys, because there isn't much reply here. So ss experienced people, to give me any advice would be much appreciated. Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
33klfan Posted October 6, 2005 Author Share Posted October 6, 2005 That's the info i was looking for imperfectcircle25, hopefully they're uner 1k, i'll start looking into them. Are these all new, used, or combination of both. Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Posted October 6, 2005 Share Posted October 6, 2005 ditto, what he said- What size room? In your profile, please specify your system: # of channels now and planned, amps, subs, room size, acoustic treatments, EQ, music source, music and movie preferences, percent of movie versus music listening, preferred volume level, must have features, etc. For solid-state units that are almost tube like, in their lack of harshness, but not in their lush mid-range, I prefer vintage harmon kardon twin-powered 430, 630, 730 and 930 receivers, $35 Sonic Impact 5066 integrated class-T or $500 Red Wine Clari T digital amplifiers to the few $500 modern receivers I have heard on big ole horns .[H]<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbflash Posted October 6, 2005 Share Posted October 6, 2005 Parasound HCA 1500. 205Wx2 If down the road you want to try a tube preamp this amp matches very well. Danny Just want to audiogon and this doesn't look bad either: http://cls.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?ampstran&1131988048 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpm Posted October 6, 2005 Share Posted October 6, 2005 As I've touted many times... my Carver ZR1600 tripath rocks my 7's. The bass was immediately "doubled", if that makes any sense when I added this amp to the equation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psypathic Posted October 6, 2005 Share Posted October 6, 2005 I'm currently running a QSC PLX1602 with a AE3 and BEHRINGER ULTRCURVE PRO with my 7s . It sounds awsome. you can get the PLX for 699.99 at partsexpress. Great deal. austin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deang Posted October 6, 2005 Share Posted October 6, 2005 I need to quit trading stuff with you, I always end up on the short end of the stick! Now I'm stuck with that POS sub AND I have to buy another EQ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dragonfyr Posted October 6, 2005 Share Posted October 6, 2005 I need to quit trading stuff with you, I always end up on the short end of the stick! Now I'm stuck with that POS sub AND I have to buy another EQ! Dean, are you by any chance referring to the Titanic 3 sub? If so, allot of us have been wondering about it and we would certainly appreciate your evaluation of it, as it is a piece of gear that I think lots have been curious about but few have had the opportunity to hear! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psypathic Posted October 6, 2005 Share Posted October 6, 2005 I need to quit trading stuff with you, I always end up on the short end of the stick! Now I'm stuck with that POS sub AND I have to buy another EQ! LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
33klfan Posted October 6, 2005 Author Share Posted October 6, 2005 Well, since i am a newbie into thinking about two channel, since my NAD T753 is ss, should i run an integrated amp with the fronts, or run an amp or a preamp through the NAD. Any advice on why ss might be better than tube is appreciated or is tube just better? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psypathic Posted October 6, 2005 Share Posted October 6, 2005 NO disrespest to the tube fans but I love my ss. GO PLX Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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