2. amps-preamps
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Finally stepping into the hobby after 30 years of watching from the sidelines

Ok, so I hope you are all ok with a longwinded post from a first time user of the forum.  I have been obsessed with vinyl and tubes since my dad played records for me as a 5 year old.  My wife and I are finally in a place that we can take the leap into the scene.  We want to grow our system over time and may even create 2-3 systems along the way as we have a bed and breakfast where we want to make analog part of the theme. 

We have made up our mind that our first speakers will be Vandersteen 2CE sigs.  That is about as far as we have gotten.  We definitely want to power them with tubes and have very little idea of where to start.  Obviously the mainstream option would be a Mcintosh mc275 and our local HiFi salesman would LOVE to sell us a pair of those.  However, we know that there are several cheeper/better options out there and would love some input from the board.  We'd like to keep the first amp under $3,000, but we aren't locked into that.  Keep in mind that we are ok starting with a single amp and then adding a second one along the way to mono them.  Also, we would love some help with a table/arm/cartridge!  One with an integrated phono stage is fine to start with and we would again be open to upgrading and adding a stand alone phono stage later on.  

We will be doing some electrical work soon to run a 40 amp fuse to the BnBs espresso machine and would be open to setting up a dedicated line for our main system at that time so that we can have clean power.  Has any one had any experience with this?  Any ideas or recommendations that you may have would be a big help here! 

Thank you all in advance, and we are really excited to finally be part of the scene! 
128x128cottguy
raymonda
855 posts
 
I would disagree regarding your front end. If the right piece came up i would buy it ASAP. Your speakers and amp are more interdependent and should be selected in regards  to each other. Your front end is less so.

Buying new has its pros, namely warranty. However, used does, too. You could probably ensemble a 20 to 30,000 system within your 10,000 buget used, thus getting you potentially a higher level of playback.

The thought of trying out every piece prior to purchase will narrow your choices tremendously. I  would stay away from buying anything new without an audition. However, used is less a financial risk, since you can often sell the piece at or near the price you paid and it will only cost you some time.

The reality today, for me, is that to get the sound I want I have to buy used. I have never been disappointed. That's not to say i have kept every piece i have purchased, i haven't. But trying the piece out for the long haul in my home has been fun and proven invaluable.

I think you have been wise to date but i would not hesitate too much. Sometimes a quick but thoughtful decision has to be made or you'll miss out. Remember your regret with the VAC.


wolf_garcia
6,726 posts
 
Hybrid amps, with both gasoline engines and batteries, will fill your listening room with unwanted toxic fumes and although they might sound OK, you will die. Great mileage though.
michaeljbrown
146 posts
 
With respect to turntables, tone arms and cartridges, Dave at vinylnirvana is a great resource. He rebuilds Thorens, AR and others and is a real nice guy. I own one of his rebuilt and modded Thorens Long Base 125's, with an SLE tonearm and upscale Ortofon cartridge. He gives instruction by phone and online as well.
He has all ranges. As far as I know he is still in business.

oleschool's avatar
oleschool
722 posts
 
I love my classic 1 front  motor . 10" memorial . Do i want to upgrade yes and no . but it will be a pricey upgrade to see a real change to me . It will handle a substantial cartridge imo . Anyone who can genuinely say i dont want to upgrade . In most all situations has more then 10 k in a system used . Its like a herion addict chasing the next high imo.. But with a budget there becomes constraints. Like many have said ,buy  used  if you do not enjoy it . The type of gear your considering will sell .  I enjoy  following this thread . Good luck 
inna
7,317 posts
 
You certainly don't have to match front end the same way you do speakers and amp, but the question remains whether you match it at all or think of it as an independend unit. By the extension of it, do you match phono stage and preamp or preamp/amp unit?
Ideally, to my mind, everything must be matched and work as one single unit. In reality it is difficult or impossible to achive and not even easy to define exactly what you try match and in what sense. It is an art form in addition to science. And of course it can be quite subjective.
I, for example, would not consider Nottingham table if I wanted to play Wilson speakers. Don't ask me exactly why, I don't know, but in my view they would not work well together because they represent different approaches to sound reproduction. Nottingham and, say, Avalon speakers would probably be alright. Cartridge too, in my view, must somehow be matched with speakers not just table/arm/phono.
But that's another dimension. Any good table/arm/cartridge/phono will do, especially at this modest level. Still, given the choices, it may be worth thinking along the line.
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