2. amps-preamps
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I Feel Overwhelmed....Please Help

Hello, all.

I have recently decided to begin upgrading to stereo components around the entry level audiophile range, and move away from home theater stuff. I need help, as I had no idea until I began recently researching modern amps, preamps, integrateds, etc, just how huge the selection there is available.

Currently, I have the following:

Harman Kardon AVR 235 A/V receiver
Front L&R channels:
50 Watts per channel
@ <0.07% THD, 20Hz–20kHz into 8 ohms

Harman Kardon FL 8385 CD Changer

Klipsch KG 5.5 Floorstanding Speakers
frequency response 34Hz-20kHz±3dB
power handling 100 watts maximum continuous (500 watts peak)
sensitivity 98dB @ 1watt/1meter
nominal impedance 8 ohms
tweeter K-85-K 1" (2.54cm) Polymer dome compression driver
high frequency horn 90°x60° Tractrix® Horn
woofer Two K-1023-K 10" (25.4cm) Injected Carbon Graphite cones
Bass reflex via front-mounted port

Grado Labs SR325 Headphones

I use the receiver strictly for stereo music playback with my HK CD changer, or I play .flac or .mp3 files via input to the receiver from my computer sound cards optical digital output.

I want to keep my Klipsch speakers for now, along with my Grado cans, which I love. OTOH, I have not been particularly happy with the two HK components. Although the sound is not totally bad, it is a tad too bright, and it is fatiguing to listen over long periods of time. My room acoustics are not ideal either, with hardwood floors and drywall throughout. The listening rooms dimensions are 14'x13', with speaker placement along and near the corners of the 13' wall. At present, I cannot afford any of the acoustic treatments I see on the various internet sites.

From what I have seen so far, I think I would favor the warm, rich, clear sound of tube components. My Klipsch speakers are highly efficient at 8 ohms, so I should not need higher power, but I don't want to lose bass response either. I have not had much experience listening to higher end audio, but I really loved the sound of a friends McIntosh receiver (late 70's vintage), and another friends 60's vintage tubed HH Scott receiver, both systems paired with matching speaker pairs of the same brands respectively. Those experiences are why I believe I should really consider tube amps.

Would someone please be so kind as to suggest components that would allow me to play CD, CD-R, and digital music files based upon what I stated above? I suppose I could do without the ability to directly play back the digital files, but a CD player is a must have. Oh yeah, my budget is up to $3000, but I want to get as much as I can for the best possible price under that ceiling. Thanks.
chap_cat
saki70
907 posts
 
"Being very honest here, what I got in my living room now is far better than what I have heard at several high end joints in my area. 90% of which was bought 'on the come' so to speak."

Amen brother ! And it isn't that tough to do !

"In my area there is scant little 'customer friendly' audiophile outlets. Either they are incredibly arrogant & condescending to the customer or completely inflexible on price, or limit what one can preview in already setup systems."

Doncha just love west central Florida for audio ?

Chap Cat;
"He had no tube gear in stock, which was a major disappointment. He advised that the amps that I would audition would smoke the tube competition in their price range."

It has been my experience that shops are either pro tube or pro SS . While some may carry both they usually lean toward only one . It will be evident in the equipment that they have setup for demo's . A good question to ask before going there for an audition . If you are required to make an appointment... be very specific about what you want to hear .

Good luck .
wwwrecords
172 posts
 
I agree with some of the above about giving strong consideration to going vintage. If you take your time you can build a very nice system for well under your budget. That is what I have had to do and am very happy with the results. Those that have heard my system have commented that they love my system and that they should have saved their money and gone that route. I have less than $2000 in my complete system which includes 2 TT.

Going vintage requires patience and lots of footwork, but you will be amazed what you will find if you persist.

What I have done with vintage is buy what you find that is better than what you currently have, listen to it for a while until you find something better and sell your previous gear (usually for a profit). If I took the profit into consideration, I actually probably have closer to $800 in my system, but it did take considerable time, but the hunt is part of the fun for me. I am currently very satified with where I am and don't look for gear like I used to. Now my focus is directed on building a music collection that I love.

Just a thought!
macrojack
1,303 posts
 
Wwwrecords has it right. You can remove most of the anxiety from this whole process by just buying used product judiciously and stair-stepping your way up. It is entirely possible to make money on these exchanges but just avoiding a loss is victory enough.
The definition of vintage will vary from person to person but I would say that any product with a proven track record that has reached the bottom of its depreciation curve qualifies nicely. With products that fit this description, you would be hard pressed to lose money. With new product you can be certain of losing.
The amplifiers I mentioned above (Rowland Model 1 and Ayre V-3) are near classics which will hold their value indefinitely while providing you with a performance level and reliability quotient you are unlikely to find in new Chinese product at anywhere near the price. I'm sure there are many others. I chose these examples because I'm familiar with them.
If you want tubes in the chain, it would be better to have them in the preamp than in the amp for numerous reasons.
You can also go for a tubed CDP although I still maintain you will be shorting yourself by passing on the OPPO 980H.
It provides a big advantage when limited funds are available.
If you bought either amp I named, and the OPPO, you would have enough money left over for a used Modwright SWL 9.0 SE.
and some good wires. The Monster stuff isn't going to play at this level.
Post removed 
steidlguitars
90 posts
 
I've been following this thread and in my view, you're getting good advice. I wanted to second Tvad's comment about buying gear that is popular, this way if it doesn't suit, you can sell it right away.

A couple of good examples might be the Rega Apollo and Cambridge 840 CD players. When priced fairly, these sell right away. So an audition basically costs you shipping and some time if you don't want to keep it.

I'm not anxious to suggest which CDP might be best for you, but if you wanted to give tubes a whirl, the Jolida JD100A is a very nice player for the money (used ~$550) and would allow you the chance to roll a few old 12AX7 tubes which are available readily--and they improve the sound a lot over stock.

Just one possibility of many good ones.

Good luck,
Bob
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