I've been at this hobby/passion for over 50 years, I'm still changing gear, thought I was done many times. I don't think my " endgame " will happen until my game is at its end.
Too much noise out of ONE speaker makes me think their is a part drifting out of spec... the noise floor should be equal in both channels. Also, is it in phono only or all sources / inputs ?
Buy these (or similar) whisper muffin fans for electronics. Supper quite, speed adjusted, with silicone feet. I have a single one for my tube amp. A pair of whisper fans on Amazon here for your needs: https://www.amazon.com/AC-Infinity-AC-Powered-Playstation-Component/dp/B01MZ6VNII/ref=sr_1_8?crid=1XF084XW3S2R2&keywords=electronic+whisper+fans&qid=1674046071&sprefix=electronic+wisper+fans,aps,75&sr=8-8 Properly cooling amp in very tight space
Yep.. Once you start using fans, you'll never run an amp without one. I also have a dual 300b and been using a fan for 2 years now. Sometimes I run the amp the whole night till the next after noon and when I touch the transformer its barely warm.
I spent over 25 years on EL34 amps with even the purchase of octet british Mullard EL34 back in 1989. Great sounding amps and tubes. I just recently sold the tubes for I don't use that amp anymore. The same that I'm doing with this newer amp I got, I have 3 sets of output tubes for each one. I just know that one day, I wont be able to afford buying those tubes anymore. just like the Mullards. Hopefully this will be my endgame besides a new cooling fan when these blows up along the way.
Its always been my understanding that with tubes the warmer the better. I had an old HH Scott 222cC circa 1962 that came with a walnut veneered case which of course was open in the back and had 3 vent slots on top with 3 different lengths to form a "V". I used to run that all day and would bring it to my tech occasionally for a cleaning and to be checked out and we didn't retube it for years. I finally sold it in perfect working condition with a Scott 314 tuner and 335 MPX adapter and a McIntosh MR77 tuner I had to a collector in 2010 when I returned to my roots in solid state. Wish I still had the MR77 though.
I have the LTA Zotl z40+ integrated which match my Spatial Audio Labs X5s really well. I picked it up used and rolled some tubes and does what I want it to. I'll keep it unless some incredible cheap, light and inexpensive amp comes along. I thought that might be some Class D GaNfet amp but nope.
I have a question, when I ship my amp to QC, do I have to bring a transformer/ power supply 220 to 120 with 2-245 watts tube mono blocks 1-160 watts tube preamp 200 watts for other accessories. ______ 900 watts (approximately total) or can I get a reliable one in PI? What is your recommendation? Thanks Kabayan...
This could be an end game. McIntosh MA12000 Integrated Amplifier This guy is an hour away: Audio Classics - MA12000 :-D This one too: Accuphase Laboratory, Inc. E-800 200wpc in 2 ohms Class-A ! This guy has one of them too! Just $25,000 Audio Classics - E800 :-D
Integrated SS Amps have improved massively this century, I haven't demoed any recently and wonder what the minimum spend is now to get high-end sound?
"Maybe"... and I'm not in the position to tell anyone what to do. All I know if I count he hours of owning and listening to my tube amps since 1987, I think that's enough experience for me to measure reliability and sound. The bottom line is, I'm happy, not worried, and not get myself confused with blogs for I can fix my own amp... Babieh!
$3k-ish (e.g. Marantz model 30, Yamaha A-S1200) does the trick, imho. After that diminishing returns kick in hard. I have an A-S801 ($900) in my 2nd system and sometimes I'm flabbergasted by just how good it is for the outlay.
I was lucky to be able to purchase in 2009 an Accuphase E-550 integrated amplifier, which now is equipped with AD-30 and DAC-50 input boards. End of my hifi journey with amplifiers.
Wow! Hell of an amp; love that brand. It would be my endgame amp as well if I could afford one, that is.
Are you sure that's not a chi-fi? Just messing... Congrats. In 2009 was the same year I bought a Yaqin chi-fi just to mess with. OMG what a fun and happy 10 years of lo-fi memories. There's so much stuffs that I fixed it and felt like I almost bought a whole new slightly step-up amp. Its a good that that wasn't my primary amp otherwise I'd go bananas. Then I bought another one 37 watt tube amp. I plugged and 80's emerson transistor radio next to it . The transistor sounds better.. LoL.. I got rid of it.
