Newbie to audio
I'm not sure where to send you regarding amps, though there are many, many options. Someone more familiar with your speakers may need to weigh in, and Evelick's advice is right on. Another suggestion is to look at the most recent tread on the SL2000a (link below) and make sure you have a good tube complement. It's wonderful with the right tubes, very average with the stock tubes. I recommmend an Amperex Bugelboy 5AR4 rectifier (this will give you the biggest improvement), and Mullard 12at7s. http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl?aamps&1157186575&openmine&zzBdgregory&4&5#Bdgregory |
Here is my 2 cents, From what you described so far a tube amp would be fun to play with. I see the Dynaco rebuilds for about $500-800 and I keep stopping myself. I bought an ARC VT-60 and I am astonished by the difference between tube and solid state. For me the tube amp really takes the rough edges off my music collection. In a way I envy you ... it was just $40,000 ago I was playing with the idea of getting back into audio. Ok, maybe it's not been that bad ... in fact the trick is to watch for a good deal, buy it, try it and if it's not your cup of tea, pass it on to someone else. Put the cash back into the system. I pour a little into the system every year and I am very happy with what I have. There were dark times ... but this forum and the advise of a few good friends has helped me build a system I love to listen to. I finally got around to trying tubes and I never looked back. To me it's love at first note. The straw that broke the camel's back was a demo of a Jolida integrated amp (telefunken upgrade), a little pair of Paradigm studio 20's and a modded Denon CDP. Man ... it made my system sound like a clothes dryer with tennis shoes in it. I'm now at a cross roads : I'm considering selling off the Levinson amps and picking up a pair of tubed monoblocks. Rather then sell the farm right off the bat ... I tried the ARC amp to make sure it would have a desirable effect in my home ... on my system ... real world so to speak - it's sweet! I hate the see the Levinson's go ... I spent years lusting after them but I am hooked. Now I am playing with different tubes and trying to figure what I like. As you can tell from the above posts - there are a lot of well informed, knowledgeable people that are will to share what they know. Good luck and welcome from an old mule! |
Ya , what Horseface said . It is good , uh , sense . See , I didn't say it ! I recommend the Prima Luna Prologue 2 . It is a tubed integrated amp that is auto biasing . Very nice sounding with no user maintaince required . There is an earlier model - Prologue 1 that will fit your budget , used . Good luck . |
