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Aric Audio? First Watt? PrimaLuna?

Looking to purchase a new amp.  Currently I have an Odyssey Khartoga SE.  Speakers: B&W 705s2, 88db.  DAC: Metrum Onyx using Coax from a Singxer SU-1 w/upgrades.  Using a Raspberry PI running MPD.  I have a fairly large collection of digital files.  Turntable is a EAT C-Major w/Lehman phono amp.  Aric Audio Unlimited preamp.

I am looking at an Aric Audio Transcend Push Pull, a First Watt J2, F6 or SIT-3, or a PrimaLuna DIaglogue Premium.  I have always wanted a tube amp and I definitely want to take my amp to the next level.  I feel it is the weakest link I now have.  I don't want a tube amp that I have to bias and I don't want to have to replace the power tubes every 2 years at $600 up.

Heat is a concern.  My "listening room" is my garage, unheated and uncooled except what I can get thru the kitchen door when the temps get above 90 or below 45.  Between those I tend to leave the garage door open as I love the sunshine.  So my components sit in a cabinet to protect them.  I can leave the door open and I have cooling fans in the cabinet.

The First Watt interests me and the sound, from what I have read, seems like what I want.  But then so do the tube amps.  So, I am looking for .....wisdom.  Yours specifically.  What are your thoughts? 

Thanks!
128x128jgoldrick
rocray's avatar
rocray
1,448 posts
 
Hi jgoldrick, I rotate speakers. Nola Boxer 2's, Graham Chartwell LS3/5's, Hornshoppe Great Horned Heils, and occasionally a pair of Caintuck Audio The Betsy.  
     I have a small dedicated listening room,9x13. I also don't listen at ear bleed levels. 
kalali's avatar
kalali
1,977 posts
 
"My "listening room" is my garage, unheated and uncooled..."

Out of curiosity, is this garage dedicated/converted to a listening room, e.g., furniture, room treatment, etc., or is a "multi-purpose" garage with car(s) and also used for music listening? Safely assuming the former, is it a one car or two car garage? I think the size and the nature of the use environment will play into what will work better in your application.
As you know, the Unlimited has a separate (from volume control) gain control that can be adjusted to deliver up to 5 volts of output. That may allow you some flexibility in selecting the amplifier and its associated gain. For comparison, my Unlimited (using 12AX7 tubes) is driving an 18wpc Aric Audio SE KT88 amplifier into 93dB/1w/1m speakers and I have to keep the gain control way low to allow for a reasonable range on the volume control and I still rarely go past 12 o'clock. 
jgoldrick's avatar
jgoldrick OP
138 posts
 
Yep, the former. I park my wife's car in it at night and the other half is my shop/office.  Saws, benches, computer, etc.  Hence the cabinet for protection and my speakers are mounted high about a foot off the ceiling and a foot off the wall, also for protection,   and skewed slightly downward.  The environment is not the best, but it works.

Right now I have RCA 5751's in the Unlimited to keep the gain down.  I have the rear gain turned off the lower limit, but not by much.  I still generally set the volume between 9am - 10am.  If I turn the rear gain all the way down, the sound becomes flat and two dimensional.

I recently did a measurement with REW and a minidsp mike, but I have not taken that any further.  Honestly, I am not sure how to apply it to room treatments, so if there is a link with some noob info that would work, I would appreciate it.  I have thought about trying to setup a DSP (brutefir), but I haven't gotten any further with that either.  it would only affect the digital, as turning analog into digital and then back again somehow doesn't sit right with me.

I will contact Pass and Upscale Audio.  Good suggestion!

Hi lance, do run it in linear or triode mode?
sixfellas
1 posts
 
Jgoldrick:   I love garages, saws, cars and music.  There are many amps that will sound great. What you should do is build one. Anyone who has the interest to ask these questions and owns tools can do it. I recommend an Aleph j or an F5 of Nelson Pass’s design. You can build one for around $1000 dressed very well. See diyaudio.com.   Build guides and a lot of help can be found there. Nothing will sound sweeter than an amp you built and biased yourself. 
coachpoconnor's avatar
coachpoconnor
380 posts
 
The Pass XA-25 would be nice. It should have enough oomph!
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