2. amps-preamps
  3. 176566-170020

Can a Amp be "timeless" and compete with todays amps?

I’ve been into hi resolution audio for 20+ years, well longer than that but acquired high quality gear about that time. I veered off into other interests for 15 years but still had my system sitting idle in it’s dedicated room. I became interested in it again 6 months ago and began to update it. I still have my Rega Planar 25 table and a Dragon phono stage.  I retained my CEC TL1 transport, but replaced my DAC with a Dinafrips Venus II, I also have the Hermes DDC which I feed my CEC into as well as my Cambridge Streamer. I sold my Genesis V speakers because they were having an issue with the left channel bass and since they were out of business I had no way to fix them, it was over my head. I found someone that wanted them and was willing to repair them himself. (he is very happy with them) I replaced them with some Goldenear Triton 1.r’s which I love. So here is the nostalgia part. I still have my VAC Cla 1 Mk II pre amp and my VAC Renaissance 70/70 Mk II amp. I feel they still hold up well sonically, so my thoughts are to send them both to VAC for the Mk III updates this fall of 2022, which includes replacing any necessary parts and "voicing" them back to new as intended when they were first made. I really believe these pieces are worthy of the restoration, are newer pieces today really going to make much headway? I cannot afford to replace these items with "like" items as I am retired and the discretionary income isn’t there anymore. I just feel like they are still really good and offer a very high quality sound. I mean 8- 300 B tubes can’t be all that bad can they? I’ve voiced the pre amp with with Telefunken 12AX7’s and I have a small stash of them. Tube sound is still great right?

128x128fthompson251
johnkent3
63 posts
 

Benchmark moved the game a head with their current technology that's in the AHB2.

My bet is if you plugged your tube pre into this and kept the rest of your system as is you'd be more than pleased with the results! And if not, you can return. Worth a shot!

grossman616
123 posts
 

yes

eworkflow
10 posts
 

What this means is its possible to build a solid state amp that is every bit as smooth in the mids and highs as the best tube amps and leave nothing on the table in terms of detail, sound stage and the like, in such a way that vintage amps simply cannot compete (not that they sound bad, just they don’t sound as good). This is one of those things that is easy to hear and easy to measure.

If you are convinced that best amps can be measured, you most likely hit a goldmine of technical wisdom, although the term "smooth" might be not universal enough to define it. However, in my opinion, that is not even possible, especially because amps do not make sound on their own: the sound you hear exists in a relation to all component in the signal path. Insisting on individual component’s quality, as promised by manufacturers marketing materials, rather than emphasizing the signal path synergy is not the optimal formula to enjoy audio but, of course, it can be easily the most expensive one...

bishop148
42 posts
 

My old Phase Linear 400B amp is almost 50 yo. I doubt that I could tell the difference between it and my newer amps in a blind AB test. Maybe others could, but as others here have said, amps haven't changed much over the years. Transistors and resisters are quieter and capacitors have improved greatly but does that end up with a better sound?

hartf36's avatar
hartf36
206 posts
 

And then, of course, there exists the prospect of overthinking things until.....

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