Jgoldrick: I love garages, saws, cars and music. There are many amps that will sound great. What you should do is build one. Anyone who has the interest to ask these questions and owns tools can do it. I recommend an Aleph j or an F5 of Nelson Pass’s design. You can build one for around $1000 dressed very well. See diyaudio.com. Build guides and a lot of help can be found there. Nothing will sound sweeter than an amp you built and biased yourself.
Aric Audio? First Watt? PrimaLuna?
Looking to purchase a new amp. Currently I have an Odyssey Khartoga SE. Speakers: B&W 705s2, 88db. DAC: Metrum Onyx using Coax from a Singxer SU-1 w/upgrades. Using a Raspberry PI running MPD. I have a fairly large collection of digital files. Turntable is a EAT C-Major w/Lehman phono amp. Aric Audio Unlimited preamp.
I am looking at an Aric Audio Transcend Push Pull, a First Watt J2, F6 or SIT-3, or a PrimaLuna DIaglogue Premium. I have always wanted a tube amp and I definitely want to take my amp to the next level. I feel it is the weakest link I now have. I don't want a tube amp that I have to bias and I don't want to have to replace the power tubes every 2 years at $600 up.
Heat is a concern. My "listening room" is my garage, unheated and uncooled except what I can get thru the kitchen door when the temps get above 90 or below 45. Between those I tend to leave the garage door open as I love the sunshine. So my components sit in a cabinet to protect them. I can leave the door open and I have cooling fans in the cabinet.
The First Watt interests me and the sound, from what I have read, seems like what I want. But then so do the tube amps. So, I am looking for .....wisdom. Yours specifically. What are your thoughts?
Thanks!
I am looking at an Aric Audio Transcend Push Pull, a First Watt J2, F6 or SIT-3, or a PrimaLuna DIaglogue Premium. I have always wanted a tube amp and I definitely want to take my amp to the next level. I feel it is the weakest link I now have. I don't want a tube amp that I have to bias and I don't want to have to replace the power tubes every 2 years at $600 up.
Heat is a concern. My "listening room" is my garage, unheated and uncooled except what I can get thru the kitchen door when the temps get above 90 or below 45. Between those I tend to leave the garage door open as I love the sunshine. So my components sit in a cabinet to protect them. I can leave the door open and I have cooling fans in the cabinet.
The First Watt interests me and the sound, from what I have read, seems like what I want. But then so do the tube amps. So, I am looking for .....wisdom. Yours specifically. What are your thoughts?
Thanks!