VALVE AMPLIFIERS
 

"Andy Evans" wrote in message
oups.com...
* Ignore magazine reviews (you have no idea what their agenda may be)

Another conspiracy theorist ! Some reviewers may be deaf but reviews
are a very useful starting point for drawing up a short list.

Talking to hifi dealers and research their suggestions in magazines is
a good plan.

The point about size of room, speakers etc is that if the room is small
and speakers sensitive, then the OP could use something like a 2a3 or
300b amp - push pull even, doesn't have to be single ended. Other
things being equal I'd expect a PP 2a3 or 300b amp to outclass a
pentode amp with global feedback. Could be the OP already figured he
had to use pentodes because of speakers/size of room, but how do we
know?

Talking to dealers is a question of who you talk to, as are most things
in this world. I think some of us alleged "conspiracy theorists" are
simply realists.



The trouble with the 'strictly correct' approach such as is expounded by
Trevor is that there is a certain lack of 'real world' practicality - there
may be a branch of 'Valve Amps R Us' on a street corner in most Aussie
towns, but the truth is that getting to see/hear and, worse still, *loan*
valve amps in the UK is still no easy thing to do. Plus with a home loan
there is the baggage of feeling somewhat obliged to buy summat if the dealer
has been totally spiffing about the whole idea and usually a certain sense
of 'hurry up' with the audition.....

Narrowing the choice with the practical considerations of other kit, room
size &c. &c. to a couple of the strongest contenders by means of advice,
magazine reviews and recommendation and then buying both the 'finalists' so
that one can audition them to death with no strings attached, over as long a
period as you want (as I suggested) isn't so daft if you can move the
unwanted amp along at cost or, at least, a tolerable loss - not when you
take your time and travelling costs into account.

Whenever I have gone for 'Option C' (that being both Options A *and* B - my
SOP) I have had no trouble finding a taker for the 'loser' in such a
comparison situation. The prospective buyer usually gets the opportunity to
audition the 'spare' item at his leisure and/or a loan of it to make his
mind up with no pressure whatoever from me...

....not to mention a 'satisfaction guarantee' and money back *without
question* if anything proved disappointing for any reason within a
reasonable time period...

VALVE AMPLIFIERS
 

On Sat, 28 Oct 2006 06:10:21 +0100, wrote:

On Thu, 26 Oct 2006 11:20:20 +1000, "Trevor Wilson"
wrote:

* Ignore magazine reviews (you have no idea what their agenda may be)

Another conspiracy theorist ! Some reviewers may be deaf but reviews
are a very useful starting point for drawing up a short list.

Talking to hifi dealers and research their suggestions in magazines is
a good plan.

And one should always try several dealers as they'd only recommend the best of their
selection, and they will not cover everything. Also if you think one set might be of
interest but the dealer will not let you demo it at home. Go to another store in the
same chain and ask again. I suggested this to a friend last summer and he went to two
more stores before he found one who would let him. He came down and paid in cash
after 6 days.

Speakers and amps work out differently for me. I buy them second hand and I am a
collector and do not choose based on sound or looks as I buy by brand only.
Ocasionally I pair up for listening. I got 7 pairs of Jamo speakers as in 2003 I felt
I needed some others so I would not have to drag the one set that stayed with me 28
years around the floor all the time to connect to any setup I wanted. I now have 6
sets in my one-room apartment and one old set in my room at my old parents. And I
have 3 amps for the ones at my parents and 9 in my apartment. I also have a larger
headphone collection which is always fun to too hook up to different amps.

I think I will buy my first tube amp for headphone use rather than actually driving
any of the regular speakers I have. I rarely use speakers actually so buying a tube
amp for that would be sad as I probably would not use it much.

Living in an apartment next to older people I tend not to play loud by any stretch of
the word loud. In fact the oldest neighbour thought my apartment was empty because
the blinds are always down and she never heard anything.
I did not tell her that she might be slightly deaf, would probably mind the mess in
my kitchen - where the blinds are always down, and probably I was letting her off
easy by being so quiet. I saw no reaosn to puncture her first impression :)

I suppose that will change if I bought a tube amp for the speakers. No doubt I can
find a set of speakers that will 'speak up'.

-Mikkel, so many things to collect.

VALVE AMPLIFIERS
 

"Andy Evans" wrote:

Talking to dealers is a question of who you talk to, as are most things
in this world. I think some of us alleged "conspiracy theorists" are
simply realists.

I think many realists were born out of experience :)

-Mikkel

VALVE AMPLIFIERS
 

wrote in message
...
On Thu, 26 Oct 2006 11:20:20 +1000, "Trevor Wilson"
wrote:

* Ignore magazine reviews (you have no idea what their agenda may be)

Another conspiracy theorist ! Some reviewers may be deaf but reviews
are a very useful starting point for drawing up a short list.

**Why? How do you know that the reviewer did not just return from an all
expenses paid trip to The Maldives with the manufacturer of the product?


Talking to hifi dealers and research their suggestions in magazines is
a good plan.

**LISTENING in YOUR room with YOUR speaker, to a range of different products
in your price range is a good plan. Anything else is just daft.


--
Trevor Wilson
www.rageaudio.com.au



--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com

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"Mikkel Breiler" wrote in message
...
"Andy Evans" wrote:

Talking to dealers is a question of who you talk to, as are most things
in this world. I think some of us alleged "conspiracy theorists" are
simply realists.

I think many realists were born out of experience :)


I think they *all* were....???

VALVE AMPLIFIERS
 

wrote in message
...
On Wed, 25 Oct 2006 14:44:50 +0100, Jim Lesurf
wrote:


You say nothing about your own preferences or circumstances of use. Thus
unless we all happen to have preferences/circumstances which are the same
as yours we have no idea if any comments we make will apply in your case.

What a load of puffed-up hot air and drivel.

**Bull****. Jim's words were, as usual, sensible and sane.


The Logos and the Prima Luna amps have received a huge amount of good
press.

**So what? Millions of words were printed about Saddam possessing WMDs too.
They were lies. Good press can be easily purchased by manufacturers.

It doesn't mean they are going to be 'the best' but for as a
short list for an integrated class A valve amps at that price point
its a great starting point. Sure go and try them out, try and get a
demo at home, but I'd say your 're on the right track.

**What would be far more sensible would be to assemble a whole bunch of
amps, within the price range, regardless of technology and listen to them in
a blind test.


--
Trevor Wilson
www.rageaudio.com.au



--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com

VALVE AMPLIFIERS
 

"Trevor Wilson" wrote


**What would be far more sensible would be to assemble a whole bunch of
amps, within the price range, regardless of technology and listen to them
in a blind test.


Yep, say 30 or 40 amps and with a little bit of help you could have the job
knocked off in an afternoon....

VALVE AMPLIFIERS
 

Yep, say 30 or 40 amps and with a little bit of help you could have the
job
knocked off in an afternoon....

Especially since virtually all the London stores serve champagne during
listening sessions and have a specially trained team of 6 ft Polish
blondes in mini skirts to change the cables.

VALVE AMPLIFIERS
 

"Keith G" wrote in message
...

"Trevor Wilson" wrote


**What would be far more sensible would be to assemble a whole bunch of
amps, within the price range, regardless of technology and listen to them
in a blind test.


Yep, say 30 or 40 amps and with a little bit of help you could have the
job knocked off in an afternoon....


**Points:

* You would not need to listen to that many.
* LISTENING, rather than asking people who may or may not be reliable, makes
far more sense to us humans.
* Both amps quoted cost serious Squid. A good long listen makes sense and
any dealer who does not comply does not deserve the business.


--
Trevor Wilson
www.rageaudio.com.au



--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com

VALVE AMPLIFIERS
 

"Andy Evans" wrote in message
oups.com...
Yep, say 30 or 40 amps and with a little bit of help you could have the
job
knocked off in an afternoon....

Especially since virtually all the London stores serve champagne during
listening sessions and have a specially trained team of 6 ft Polish
blondes in mini skirts to change the cables.



:-Þ