thanks @2psyop I am a fan of tube preamp with SS amp.combo, some day 
Primare/ Vincent Adio /NAD /Rogue/ AVA /Hegel...- need a simple and reliable integrated
I came up with this list based on price and functions but all I know is that they are (mostly) boutique brands, cherished by audiophiles. I have heard NAD and Vincent and none of the rest.
- Vincent SV-500
- Primare I2*
- Rogue Sphinx v2
- Audio by Van Alstine Vision SLR
- Hegel H160/ H120
- NAD C368
- Simaudio Moon I-5
I don't stream, I have a turntable and CD player. I am good with 50Watts per channel, and I would like to avoid tubes for no-fuss maintenance. I have Klipsch RP8000F speakers. I prefer sound on the warm side, I mostly listen to 60s and 70s rock and some soul/jazz/blues. I have decent hearing, I enjoy a nice soundstage but I nothing as critical and analytical as some of you/the typical audiophile.
I am a bit shallow, looks are important :) My budget would allow me to buy one of these used 5-10 years old (stretched... price is key, I would prefer a cheaper model with less functions)
If you own or have heard any of them and can tell me what the best choice/value is based on sound and reliability, that would be a great help.
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thanks @pangeek! I am an impulsive buyer but my budget keeps me careful .I am sure some day I will grow up to appreciate tubes like the PrimaLuna :) |
@gano Cheers and Happy hunting. This is honestly the best time since the excitement and anticipation is almost priceless. Don’t keep us hanging and let us know what you decide on! |
I use both a Hegel h160 and a small Keces E40. For my speakers the Hegel is definitely overkill. The biggest difference I hear between these 2 amps are on my Dali speakers. The voices have a bit more pop and sometimes glare in movie soundtracks where I think sound is processed differently than music, perhaps better resolution and the piano strikes a bit more livliness, adding to the weight and speed of notes whereas the Keces rounds the sharpness, it's smooth, warmer side of neutral by a hair and adds bass heft, enough speed and texture that alot of inexpensive amps do not. It shows in the damping factor measured from a site I found. The hegel is the better amp by power, specs, etc., but the little Keces E40 does not fall far behind in SQ in my systems. Enough so that I may sell the Hegel h160 in the coming weeks as I do not plan on upgrading my speakers at this time. I wanted mini systems that perform and I now have 2 Keces E40s using decent under a grand dacs. The 2 systems offer a bit of a different flavor, using Dali and Triangle speakers. Even if I upgrade my speakers, they will still be small standmounts such as Closer OGY or a few other small ones which the Keces should still drive well. Can't say enough good things about the little amp and prefer it over Rega and a few others in its category I have heard but there are alot of decent and reasonably priced amps out there. The Van Alstine CA/NP amps are getting attention , there's Galion, among some others that should hold value over time. But if you find a used Keces for cheap, grab one. Even at retail I think its worth it. Looking at the power and caps you wouldn't think it could sound this good. Just stay at or above 4 ohms. Going below that I think produces too much heat. Hard to drive low sensitivity speakers won't get loud. But it will drive them within its power band. FWIW.
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@agwca The Keces look great. Very reasonably priced too. I don't see a US distributor though. I wonder if they have a 110v version |
- 88 posts total