I like bi-polar transistors, but only if they are medicated.
Low Watt Solid State Amp
I am a tube guy. Have been for the last 20 years. I have various tube amps that I rotate depending on my mood. More recently, I have had the urge to add a solid state amp to the rotation. Looking for something clean, detailed, natural sounding that is in the neighborhood of 20 to 50 watts. I use a deHavilland Ultraverve 3 preamp with relatively high efficiency Tonian Lab speakers. Firstwatt comes to mind but is higher than I want to spend right now. Budget is about $1,000. Looking for a diamond in the rough kinda piece. For example, one of the tube amps that puts a smile on my face every time I plug it in is my Dynaco ST-35 -- not a huge investment, but just always sounds right. Any ideas are much appreciated. Thanks
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- 44 posts total
I would second looking at class D amps, you can get a taste of them for very little money. I have several based on the Texas Instruments TPA series chips. I find they sound better than my low cost, low wattage tube amps. I would suggest looking at amps with the TPA3250/TPA3255 or TPA3116/TPA3118 chips. There are many boards you can buy to build your own. There are also cheap and inexpensive pre-built versions. For pre-built, take a look at the FX502SPRO, Allo Volt +D, or even the Nobsound dual TPA3116 for really cheap. At that low of cost, it is worth give it a listen. Enjoy! |
Okay, here's one you've probably never heard of... Sparkler Audio out of Japan. Mr. Kazutoshi Tsukahara hand makes these units at a very reasonable price. I use his Flügel amp and find it to be most excellent. Can be seen at http://sparkler-audio.com/portfolio/products_en.html ... cheers |
- 44 posts total