Need help selecting tube gear

Hi all, I was very impressed after listening to my friends tube amp and really want one! (pictured below) My problem is I want to keep my set up down to a minimum and I also don't have the biggest budget. I'd be mostly playing vinyl through my Project Debut Carbon TT and currently have Bose 301 Series V speakers.

Would something like the Jolida FX10 be a good choice? I know I would need a preamp but would I need any other equipment? My friend also had some sort of EQ going and at that point it's just too much clutter for me. I was excited at how tiny the amp was but by the time you add a pre and anything else if needed it starts to get bulky.

Right now I have a Nikko NR-719 receiver. I was thinking a tube receiver might be the best choice being that everything is integrated and would allow for the "cleanest" set up. I see a lot of Fisher 400 tube receivers on eBay. Are these any good and how would they compare to having a stand alone tube amp/pre amp combo? And are there better choices when it comes to tube receivers? I can't seem to find anything more modern and while sound is the most important factor for me looks also matter

Was also wondering if using something like a Bellari VP130 into the Nikko instead of the Nikko's Phono Stage would get me closer to that sweet tube sound.

Thanks in advance!

 

The FX10 is an integrated amp as is the one in the picture, therefore neither require a pre amp. If you state a budget that would help get you pointed in the right direction.

 

Wouldn't I still need a phono preamp though? Trying to keep my budget at around $600. Also considering something like the Yamaha A-S500 after it was recommended over tube gear in another forum.

 

If you could stretch your budget a bit, I'd go for the Bottlehead SET 2A3: http://bottlehead.com/?product=stereomour-stereo-single-ended-2a345-integrated-amplifier-kit and stay away from Jolida at all costs. The next step would be the Zen Triode Integrated by Decware: http://www.decware.com/newsite/SE34I.htm Of course, the best thing to do is to make your own amps. I myself prefer low-powered single-ended triode designs, I don't know where you live, but if you can get your hands on one of the vintage Fishers or Dynacos and have it properly restored, that might be an affordable intro to the world of tube audio, from which there's no turning back, my friend.

 

Agreed, I would go for a vintage tube amp if budget is an issue. You can get a great performer for about $500 +/-

Once you go tube, there's no going back...

 

I was able snag a restored Fisher 400 on this forum a year ago for $500...

I've since sunk another few hundred bucks into upgrades, but it sounded superb the day I received it. It even has an all-tube phono stage! It's completely point-to-point wired too, unlike most modern amps.

Our esteemed host described the Fisher 400, 500 & 800 tube receivers as "the last bargain in high end audio."

 

What did you upgrade? Or you just recapped it?

 

In the next town from me is a guy known on Audio Karma as 'audiodon,' who is well-respected Fisher expert. The 400 had already been recapped, but Don modded the phono stage to give it a flatter frequency response, which removed the boomy character and improved its clarity. He also modded the output section so that the tubes run cooler, extending the life of the tubes. Some of the tubes didn't test well, so he replaced them and made sure all of the pairs were matched. He might have done a few other things, I'm not sure, but when I got it home it sounded cleaner, more detailed, and with less background noise.

The next step is Don will be upgrading the caps to more audiophile Auricaps, as soon as he has some free time.

A lot of folks are scared away from vintage tubes, but once properly serviced, both of my tube amps have been completely reliable. (I also have a '62 Voice of Music 1448 integrated amp, which is a real sleeper on the market. A few upgrades/mods, and it can be a fantastic performer for not much money.)

 

I'd upgrade your speakers first.

 

Good point...

 

Thanks for the comments guys. Yeah I've bee looking at some Dynacos, specifically the ST-70 and the SCA 35. I like that the SCA 35 has a built in phono stage and EQ controls and it's tiny! But I read that the phono stage isn't the greatest. The ST-70 seems nice and lots of people have good things to say about it but I would also need a line/phono pre amp which is another thing to add more clutter and have to spend money on, but hey I guess that's what I may have to do.

About the speakers, I was looking at some TANNOY Mercury M2's as they're very affordable and seem to be good for tube amps. Any thoughts?

 

I was looking at some Fisher 400's since its got everything built in and has the same functionality as my current receiver except with tubes! Some told me to stay away from receivers as they're more complex and prone to problems. I'm not crazy about it aesthetically, its not too bad but aesthetically not a great match for a Project Debut Carbon. Trying to keep the lady happy too

 

I'm confused about the earlier post to avoid Jolida at all costs. I think a Jolida is a fine first venture into tubes. You certainly wouldn't have to deal with bringing an old unit up to spec by giving it an overhaul.

 

Nah. If it's properly serviced, it should be fine for a long time.

True, it has a more classic appearance vs. the more modern Pro-Ject, but I personally think it is a beautiful piece of vintage audio art.

 

All right, sounds like a good job. Before buying Auricaps, please do consider Angela/Jensen paper in oil signal caps available on the Angela web site. They also got some nice metal film resistors, should you need some.
As for the speakers upgrade the other gentleman suggested, do not overlook Fostex full-range drivers available at reasonable prices from Madisound. If I were you, I would stay away from commercially available speakers and build myself a pair of back-loaded horns. With the music you listen to, they would blow out of the water any commercially available speaker, and they're easy to build. I now it sounds crazy, but wait till you've heard it.

 

Hm, how much are you willing to spend on M2's? Now, check out the Fostex FE 126 full-range drivers on Madisound website. It will take you a couple of days to build them, and the difference is night and day.

 

Ok, Yardley specifically said FX10. To be honest, I had to check what that was, only to find out that it is an affordable line of Jolida products. I did auditioned two Jolida units some 10 years ago, and while their sound was very good, when I looked under the hood I wasn't too happy with what I saw there. No offense to any Jolida owner.

 

I've seen their transformers after a failure: I got hold of the dead one and took it apart. At best it could have been okay for a guitar amp. Internals weren't great.

The PrimaLuna stuff looks to be internally reasonably well constructed. I'm skeptical of their bias circuit, but it's been around a while with few problems.

 

Saw them for $200 for the pair. I need them to fit in the bookshelf below.

 

NICE dining room!

 

Thanks man!

 

Super room as noted.

I second the recommendations for a Fisher receiver.
Get it tuned up and you will have many years of enjoyment ahead. Even if you decide to upgrade in the future I would bet you hang onto the Fisher. They are really great. This would be a good start and if tuned up by a competent tech should provide years of trouble free listening pleasure.
Lots of good Fisher info here on the site so search for threads & read up before purchase to help guide you.

 

Feel like picking up a McIntosh MC 225 I saw locally for $950

 

That's a good price so long as it is not rusted or abused. You can flip it for much more pretty easily.

 

Agree, beautiful room. Love those floorboards! The reason I suggested smaller Fostex drivers was that you could also make bookshelf speakers with them, and it seems they're within the budget.