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Budget Tube Amp (newbie)

I'm new to tube amps. I need some advice as to a good budget tube amp with good bass that will push my large Advent speakers. Please keep in mind that I don't know anything about tube amps and don't want to pull the trigger until I can get some advice. I'm new to the Forum. Many thanks from an old guy.
Best regards,
Rob
shutupuface
parsons's avatar
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parsons
149 posts
 
I also love Decware, but I have only owned (still own 2) of their low WPC amps and those low WPC amps wouldn't drive those speakers as well as PrimaLuna in my experience.  I know they make some higher power ones.
bdp24's avatar
bdp24
9,698 posts
 

All right, let me be brutally honest. What is it you think a tube amp is going to give you (or do you just want to try one to see what all the "fuss" is about?). Did you get the Advents with a tube amp in mind? I ask because there are better old speakers to mate with a tube amp than the Advent.

The Advent isn’t (by current standards) particularly transparent, and is on the warm side of neutral (imo). A tube amp of the old-fashioned, classic type (Dynaco, for one) won’t help matters (inexpensive tube amps---the RM-10 being the rare exception---tend to error likewise. The Advent was designed to be powered by a solid state amp, with a low output impedance.).

Maybe a modest tube pre-amp (with your budget, look at the Schitt Saga +) and a decent medium-powered solid state power amp (used Parasound A23?) would be the way to go. But I say that as one ignorant about current integrateds. Separate power amps are almost all superior to the amp section of integrateds (imo), especially at the $1,000 level. Too bad the NAD 3020 is underpowered!

clhs04
62 posts
 
Number one..resign yourself to a tube integrated (keep it simple) and be ensured complete compatibility vs going the amp-preamp experimentation route where negotiating the learning curve could become costly!
for your Advents I would pass on the Rogue ..why shoot a mouse with an elephant gun?
I suggest finding a clean used Line Magnetic  EL-34 based integrated and its in your budget.
gardners501's avatar
gardners501
162 posts
 
Another Jolida recommendation. I just bought a Jolida SJ-302a a couple of weeks ago. It's integrated,  puts out 50 wpc, and was only $450 from my local dealer, who had taken it in from an estate sale. The drawbacks - it's not auto biased, but that's easy to do, it's about 25 years old, and it has no remote,  but it sounds wonderful,  and cost less than $500 including tax. I noticed a very obvious difference with my similar vintage Chapman t7 speakers moving to this amp from solid state.
shutupuface OP
33 posts
 
Ok, in response to "bdp24", I appreciate you being brutally honest! So, yes, in some respects I DO want to see what all the fuss is about.  Having known a couple of friends who had the old Dynaco ST70's back in the day, along with the Macs, I was really impressed by the sound.  However, not having the funds to go that way, I went the way of SS amps: I've owned the old Scott, Marantz, Pioneer, and Yamaha. The CR 1020 is the current SS amp I currently own. I currently own a pair of Bose 601bookshlef (4 ohms), a pair of Large Advents (8 ohms), and a pair of Fisher STV-880 (8 ohms) floor standing speakers. All of which have been re-coned and, in the case of the Advents, the cross-overs and caps redone.  As some of you "old guys" may know, the older SS amps could run (2) sets of speakers at the same time. In that regard, the Fishers complement the Large Advents. (maybe, the other speakers I have will "play" better with a tube amp?) Thoughts??
That all being said, it still lacks the "warmth" of what I remember tubes bring into the picture.  So, thanks to so many of you who have offered your time and knowledge, I am attempting to learn "the way of the tubes". lol  Now, because of you all, I realize that the ST 70 is not the way to go for me as there are better models out there even in the "budget" realm.
So, for those of you who have "been there-done that", I welcome the comments.  bdp24 also mentioned that maybe a tube pre-amp might work with my current SS Yamaha??  Thoughts??
Now, I know I am going to probably open a big can of worms on the next subject. But, once again, I am totally ignorant about the subject:
" interconnects"  I've read where people are spending major $$ on them. "Back in the day", the only "interconnects" I knew about were RCA cables. So, now at 65, I don't think I need another SS amp.And, I'm willing to humble myself and learn. But, maybe "with a little help from my friends", I can explore this avenue without, (as clhs04 stated) " ensure complete compatibility vs going the amp-pre-amp experimentation route where negotiating the learning curve could become costly!"  Again, many thanks!
Best regards,
Rob

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