Anyone else constantly curious about amps?
I'll start of by saying I have a really great sounding amp, the Mastersound Dueventi. It's a class-A tube amp running in PSET putting out 20 watts of power, which proves to be plenty in my room. I have other audio upgrades that would be more valuable. I've slowly been replacing cables, a new streamer would probably have the biggest impact in my system next, I'd like a new turntable now that I've stepped up my cartridge and phonostage...
But I just keep coming back to amps. For some reason I just feel a need to bring in something new. I can't afford it. It won't be the most high impact in my system. I don't really have anywhere to demo several of these options. But still, I've been on a two week long rabbit hole exploring solid state class A options like Pass and Sugden. I heard a top in system this past weekend with Jeff Rowland driving the system and I forgot how great those can sound, so I'm finding myself looking at their integrated. I know Norma amps sound amazing with my speakers, so I'm always tempted to bump that up the priority list.
Someone talk me off the ledge and help me with this sickness!
i have considered a sub, but for some reason it’s just never struck my curiosity in the same way. I’ve heard subs make a great difference in several systems. But I’ve equally heard them muddy things up for people. I know the set up in critical for good integration, and I’m sure I’ll go down that road eventually. But for right now, it just doesn’t excite me in the same way as so many other things in the system. |
‘’Oh no, don’t start politics in this stream’’ Interesting off subject comments….patents and all that history swept under the carpet….selective memory to suit political dogma. l can only add that China in the 21st Century has been doing the same thing to the World. With your claims to copyright ownerships, the USA was arguably not a great role model for ignoring ‘patents’ in the 20th Century’ Answering the unending ‘sickness’ condition of constant upgradeitus (not a real word but quite apt) from the OP @displayname l can only say if you are still getting too near the ‘ledge’ make sure you land in a ‘’treated’’ padded cell treatment room’’ Oh…..and l do agree with you and another poster on here….. if anyone suffers from the mentioned ‘upgradeitus’ it is advisable to buy second hand, but be forewarned if you do…. think of why the previous owner wanted to sell it. |
A pet project of mine is the restoration of a Nobles NS-130 amp. I've had two of these in the past (in much better shape). This one is going to get a complete rebuild after I take it completely apart to refinish the chassis. Of all the EL84-based amps from the 1950s/60s, this one is arguably the best. This is the best image I could find online in a quick search. The socket on the left is for the 5AR4 rectifier tube. Each channel is housed in its own removable module. |
