feeling jaded - serious help required

How much power do you need Dreemer? What are the speakers and their sensitivity?

 

i don't need a kicking system. my speakers are just a set of dm602's, standard 8ohm fair for the mass market. i hope to get something a bit more revealing but which punch capability eg. MA GR series.
btw my room is 20'x15'

 

Whats the sensitivity though, thats the important bit

 

90db
52hz-20khz+-3db

 

Fancy a bash at soldering? The WAD kit6550 would fit your bill perfectly. A monkey could put one together.

 

got to go to work now. so if i dont reply i'm not being ignorant. many thanks so far

 

The best advise would be to take your time, don't take notice of the mags, try and listen to as many systems as you can in your price range.

 

are the WADs really that good then?
i believe that they are 'easy' to tweek.
i may have a look at this one

 

Try and get a dem of one of these
From what you are saying i think this may well float your boat as it is a SS valve hybrid amp.
http://www.audiosalon.co.uk/portfolio/unison_research/Unico/unico.html
They really are supposed to be very good had excellent reviews from mags and owners alike and they come with optional Phono Board and 80 Watts per channel.
Here are some reviews for you http://forum.hifichoice.co.uk/viewtopic.php?t=14760

HTH's
Curtis

 

If you're considering this type of amp, you should also take a look at the Pathos Classic One. Lovely bit of kit and very highly thought of. No phono stage, but you've already got a very good one in the Dino

DT

PS: I see your POV re the step-up transformer - "why do I need it"? Well, you can use it with every phono stage you'll ever own - offboard & onboard and you'll probably never really need to change it. It'll give you a performance upgrade with whatever you use it with really.

 

Why not try and listen to a Sugden A21a ? That way you get quality AND width.

 

Yes. I don't want to step on any toes here but NOTHING else you could buy for the money (or twice the price) would come close to it. Ok you have to put it together but its hardly rocket science. And yes, they are extremely easy to tweak as your only changing components over, and you put the components in to start with.

 

Rather than the cart or any amp the first thing I'd change is the arm. I've always found the OL RB250s to be uninspiring; I'd look at the Morch.

FWIW, on a Spacedeck there was a huge improvement going from OL RB250, expensive cart > Spacearm, cheap cart.

 

i'm sorry if it looks like i'm burying my head in the sand here but i have serious reservations that my £600 tonearm is the weak link in a system with a £30 amp. this is the sort of logic that has got me into the muddle as it is. i understand that there are better arms out there but the suggestion that this is the cause seems a little off.imo btw.

 

I would agree that the amp is maybe not helping, but i also agree with the OL RB250, i tried one and found it most uninspiring to say the least.

 

fair enough i suppose. but if my only option is to 'up'grade then i am stuck in the cashmire again. i have an old technoarm knocking about that i might try. if it's an improvement then i may sell the ol with my old deck which should get me a few extra sheckles

 

If your anywhere near Bristol, let me know.
Maybe listening to some different bits of kit will help.

 

If Im reading this right, you have a 30 quid amp, 2k phono front end and a reasonable pair of stand mounts.

I'd keep the dino, and by your reckoning you'd then have 700?

I would definately try to keep the dino and spend it on the amp. If you're a real bargain hunter you can get a fantastic amp for the money. Valve kits are good sure, but theres loads of solid state and valve stuff in the second hand shops and classified sections that would really sound great.

Im convinced that the amp is holding back the quality of your tt and phono stage.

B&W speakers (like a lot of others IMO) wake up when they receive some quality power.

Id be looking for something powerful and clean to suit the B&Ws sound.

Here's a few potentials at a couple of shops.

AVI 2000 preamp & 2 monoblocks 800 (a lot of amp, but no longer around if you fry it)
PATHOS CLASSIC ONE integrated amp, few months old as new 825 (like a unico, except it looks good) http://www.tnt-audio.com/ampli/pathos-classic1_e.html
NAIM NAC 72/ NAP 140 late pair, boxed 700 (second hand Naim holds its value very well. pokey sound - love it or hate it)
LUMLEY ST70 power amp, nice and valvey 700 (I believe Leonard is selling his Lumley passive pre for just a couple of hundred)

I just pulled those up because it shows that you dont have to sell your phono stage to get great amps for your budget.

Those are all from a shop (the emporium which I always do haha) but you'd get a lot more for your money from e-bay or the private classifieds. You'd have no come-back thats the only thing.

Chris

 

i may pop over to the emporium next week and see if i can get some home for a demo.
with the sound change i am going to encounter, i think it would be ridiculous of me to go for the first one i hear

 

ah.

tell him I love my new altec's and he can't have them back.

so nerr.