2. amps-preamps
  3. 1100662087

should i do tube?

so i have a few grand to spend. you can check out my system, but basically it's an analog front end. im currently using a sim i-5 integrated, but cancelling out the pre section by using a bottlehead foreplay pre, which makes a very nice difference. question is, should i just go to pure tubes. the latest audio advisor catalog has 2 amps which sound very interesting, the antique sound lab aq-1001dt integrated, and the mgsi 15 dt integrated which is set. let me be clear here...things sound very good as is. but im intrigued about using all tubes. and the 1001dt especially interests me cause it's 50 wpc and has a remote, and seemingly very easy bias adjustment, which i really want. so all opinions would be very appreciated here. and if these amps could be bettered in a similiar price range, please chime in.

thanks all...
sberger

Showing 1 response by tobias

tobias
1,534 posts
 
I went to tubes from a Simaudio power amp (the W-4070SE, rather less good-sounding than the amp in your integrated but still great at the price). My value-for-money choice was the Shanling SP-80 monobloc pair. These gorgeous amps get 50 watts from a pair of EL34s in push-pull.

SP-80 pics

It was a whole new world, musically. And then I tried changing the driver tubes for NOS...

Downside of these amps for you is that bias is not easily set by the user.

Totem will tell you what tube amps they like with the Model 1 Sig if you ask them.
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