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BAT amp + cheap pream vs BAT integrated vs Prima Luna integrated

Hi all, this is my first post ever here in Audiogon. I am going to buy my first proper Hifi setup and am really going bonkers with all the possible configurations and combinations, and tbh so little data. I tend to like detail so in the beginning i discarded tubes. Separate amp and preamp is a wish, having read only but praises about this. I have read many great things about Prima Luna and am considering tubes now, to be specific, the Evo 300 hybrid, which is the closest any integrated amp will get to separate amp and preamp. But there is an option i have not read about too often: GREAT amp (BAT VK 90t) and since this will break my budget, a small and cheap preamp like a Schiit Freya or another preamp that does not impact the sound of the amp negatively too much (with the wishful thinking of buying a proper BAT preamp in the future, god and wife allows). AND, to add complexity, this configuration vs the BAT VK80t integrated amp.

Any thoughts would be much appreciated!

tykozen
zlone
1,340 posts
 

Just echoing the others, the amp matters less than the pre, better to spend more on the pre. To simplify your life you might even consider a solid state amp behind a good tube pre, this is a very common configuration that yields some tube magic.

tykozen OP
19 posts
 

Thank you very much for your comments! It is nice to belong to a community that triggers so much passion. 

My speakers are ATC SCM 19 Mark I, eventually I will replace them as well but for now they are by far the nicest part of my system. Obtaining the synergy that is mentioned in this thread so many times, I understand, will take some time, effort, and surely lots of $$. I already contacted a divorce lawyer, it will surely become handy soon...

My budget is $10,000, ideally including a phono preamp (actually ideally it includes the turntable but I am not going to make it). The option of the VK90T would only be possible if I connect it to a cheap preamp, and the Freya seems to be pretty good and cheap. Yes, ideally I should integrate to a BAT preamp, but that is not possible, at least now.

My concern with used is the ratio $ invested vs probability of needing repair or even replacement. I do not know technicians or how much they usually charge. The guarantee offered in new equipment (or Demos) is a factor that I take into consideration. 

Having said that, what are your thoughts about TMR? Seems to be a serious place to buy used. 

On another note, I need to clarify that the Prima Luna integrated amps that I am considering are the EVO 400 and the EVO 300 HYBRID. The VK90Ts I have seen are demo versions at 1/2 the cost of a new one. Initially I was looking for solid state integrated amps, for their clarity, which i appreciate. The tube amps and integrateds I am checking, supposedly, are clear and transparent, for being tubes.

Thanks in advance!

knotscott's avatar
knotscott
1,387 posts
 

Many feel that a preamp is a key component.  At the very least, a system is a chain that's only as good as it's weakest link, therefore I would not add a cheap preamp  to a great amp and expect top performance.  The system would most likely sound like the cheap preamp. You could do it as a stepping stone while you save and research for a proper preamp to go with the amp. 

dayglow
2,438 posts
 

ATC loudspeakers generally get better results when driven by Solid State amplifiers.

jl35
4,452 posts
 

I agree the preamp is very important...the Schiit Freya is great for the money, but for me, not a long term solution. BAT makes great Integrated Amps which are good value. I have owned the Freya and BAT Integrated, and friend has BAT separates, so I'm familiar with these products. After 30 years of separates, I am now super happy with an Integrated Amp...

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