Wtb: Valve Amp

WTB: VALVE AMP. Does anyone have a good quality amp that they are thinking of parting with? Looking to dip my toe in the waters and experience the sound of tubes.

 

I have a pair of 300b PSE mono blocks and a passive controller I am thinking of selling, Danish built, PM me if your interested.

 

Hi

How much do you want to spend? Is it an intergrated or pre power you are after? Do you need a phono stage?

I may able to help.

SCIDB

 

Okay - I would prefer an intergrated and I don't need a phono stage but would quite like a tape loop for recording

 

just bought this for £500, tube technology unisis.
fantastic value for money, retails at £2,600

i know of another for £500 based in essex if your interested.

 

Yes I would be interested. I did email the guy in Essex but I guess that he's been busy over Christmas. If you know him I'd be gratefull for an intro.

 

no probs, he is a teacher so cant accept mails till he goes back to work.
I was going to buy it, but found another nearer home, essex is about a 4 hour drive from me, so i gave it a miss.
you have pm.

 

Thanks very much - what were you using before this amp and how do you find it?

 

i was using linn pre powers before.
the difference is night and day to be honest.I sold the linns initially to my brother as he was using naim stuff and just bought some martin logan electrostatics.the naims wouldn`t drive the logans properly (they sounded pants), so he tried the linns and they opened up the sound far greater and was so much more arier than the naims.bass was far better etc... so i was stuck without amplification.
then i bought a myryad integrated as a stop gap, mainly because it had a passive pre section and was going to use it as a passive pre amp and maybe add a valve power to it.
But after a while listening to it, i missed the linns tremendously, they just gelled with the meridian cd and royd apex speakers that i was using.Especially the open midrange.
I was always curious about valve amps, but kept hearing things like "warm", "loose bass" etc....
Anyway,after a long search, i came across the tube technology via a private seller for £800 and thought i would offer him £500 to see what he said.
He took it! So i thought what the hell, if i don`t like it , i could always sell it on for a good profit.Then i got it home, spannered it in and i was stunned.
The midrange is to die for, bass is fast and tight and goes down far lower than the linns ever did, more tuneful to boot.
The top end is far more airier and open and the dynamics are superb, and the soundstage is huge.
its not at all as warm as i thought it might be, its open and very clean. It also goes louder than the linns too. 35 watt against 80 watt (work that one out!) and sounds effortless too.
It uses 8 EL84 output tubes which are cheap as chips to replace, in fact i have just ordered 8 golden dragons at just under 50 quid, all matched too. (from www.tube-shop.com) Bargain!
You wont be dissapointed if you buy it, its a fantastic bit of kit for the £500 , it looks the business, sounds the business,it does rock , jazz, dance, trance, ambient brilliantly, its build quality is superb, and all in all, i am chuffed to bits.
Tube technology bought out a signature version, with upgraded transformers etc, and mine and the guy i put you intouch with has the same spec.
This new has a retail of £2600 without phono stage, mine and the other 1 has one already fitted so would cost a fair bit more.
Put it this way, if i had spent the near £3k on this new, i would be made up with it. Sure you will find better at maybe £4k and above, but for £500 its a no-brainer.
So for £500 i say go for it, you will be chuffed to bits.

 

I'll give him a call!