Retirement integrated amp for a “fiscal conservative”
I’ve taken the plunge and am now enjoying the 2nd week of retirement after 44 years of work, including 42 years with the company I just retired from.
One of the retirement goals I’m really looking forward to is spending much more time enjoying music with my main system!
I’ve pretty much gone digital (but do have a Linn Sondek LP12 to enjoy LPs purchased in the 60’s - 80’s).
My system consists of a Rose 150B streamer/DAC and a Primaluna CD player for digital playback. I use a Roon Nucleus for Roon/Tidal new music research and listening. Speakers are original Joseph Audio Perspectives.
I enjoy all types of music, but mostly listen to jazz (preferably smooth but am exploring all of the various forms of jazz).
I’m currently using a Primaluna Dialogue HP Premium integrated amp which I’ve enjoyed for many years. Here’s where the “fiscal conservative” part comes in; this amp has 8 power tubes. Even with Primaluna’s great low tube stress design concept, I’m not looking forward to replacing power tubes every couple years with my retirement bonus listening time. Also, I’d like to get additional damping factor bass control than my current amp provides. I love the tube midrange and treble range sound, but would like an upright bass to sound more like a wood instrument (hard to describe in words) and hear more natural note attack and decay
I’d like to get ideas/advice from A’gon music enjoyment experts on a replacement integrated that still provides the acoustic sound of tubes, but doesn’t require new tubes every couple years/2,000 hours and is a great match to enjoy jazz on the rest of my system which I plan to keep. I’m open to used or new with a cap of say $8,000.
Thank you in advance for your thoughts and suggestions.
Eric
Tube replacement costs are simply a part of ownership of tubes. You have to weigh is it worth it to spend $8k on an unknown. Tubes aren’t ultra expensive. So I don’t understand why anyone would consider giving up tubes for $500 every 3 years versus spending $8k on something else. So the cost of tubes is $150 every year. That’s a fiscally conservative cost in my book. What am I missing?
If you simply want something new I get wanting something else. But that doesn’t mean it will be better. |
@re-lar-kvothe thank you and the many others who recommended the Luxman 507/509 integrated. Lots of love it seems for them. @ghdprentice I am curious why you sounded so down on Luxman when you posted your thoughts earlier? @coltrane1 I hear you and your point. In this “last significant investment” in my system, I’m looking to improve the sound quality as I tried (hard to do with words) to explain in my original post. If I can get the SQ I “desire” with an integrated that doesn’t require multiple power tube replacements over the next 20 years I’m planning on living and enjoying music, then that’s a winner! |
There are lots of different sounds available on the market. Well regarded companies have a wide variety of sound types. There are flashy "high end sounding", holographic, natural, overly powerful impactful, overly warm. At the center is natural and musical, sounding like the real thing. I understand different people are satisfied by different sounds, although I think there is a propensity as we get older for most (but not all) to gravitate towards more natural and musical. Tinny high resolution systems tend to wear on experienced ears. I try and allow for variation, but some brands fall outside of serious sounding audio and to me solid state Luxman falls outside that circle. It sounds like it looks. Sparkling analytical with a serious under represented midrange and nearly devoid of rhythm and pace... the heart and soul of music. Each time I listen to them... and I am including their very expensive pieces I am very disappointed. I try to give good advice... the kind that will hold up for most people over time as they learn and change. It looks just great... but to me it is the kind of sound that is just too far from natural to get excited about and so I try at least case some doubt, so that if someone is inclined, they listen a bit longer to it, so as to be really sure that is what they want. |
A lot of the suggestions I have owned, and I would not consider them a good replacement for tubes, except 1 which may have not been mentioned. I can recommend the item but with a huge caveat. It is an incredible sounding Interated. Warm and buttery smooth with the first 90 watts Class A. It is the KRELL K-300i. Krell K-300i integrated amplifier | Stereophile.com Krell K-300i review | What Hi-Fi? The reason I cannot fully recommend it is because today KRELL is a ___ show and maybe bankrupt and closing. There are used units that are 1/2 price online and maybe some dealers looking to unload their remaining stock. If I wanted a tubey SS integrated I would get the K-300i and use these guys for any repair service. Krell Service and Repair | George Meyer AV I used them to do a warranty repair on my K-300i for a pin that was stuck in the RCA connection. It was a cosmetic thing, but I wanted it officially fixed before I sold it. The repair shop said they can do anything on KRELL gear. Krell k-300i integrated amplifier with digital board / DAC installed For Sale - US Audio Mart BTW - I sold it to buy the KRELL DUO 175XD amp which is in the same lineup as the K-300i integrated. Never should have sold the 175XD amp.
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