[Spirit]

I have never owned a tube amp.
I am thinking that I may want to place one in my home office to mate
with my Von Schweikert VR1s.
Any advice on a reasonably priced integrated tube amp would be helpful.

[PaulFolbrecht]

Check out Cayin, PrimaLuna, Dared, Jolida.  1st three: definitely very good stuff.  Last one: not so sure.

[F-100]

Check out Onix SP3. Excellent integrated tube amp at a great price and outstanding customer service from AV123.
You can find a nice one at Audiogon for around $450.

See reviews below:
http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/volume_12_3/onix-xcd-88-cd-player-sp3-amplifier-reference-1-speakers-9-2005.html
http://www.audioholics.com/productreviews/avhardware/onixsp3tubep1.php


There is one for sale here at AC:
http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=32331.0

[Bob Reynolds]

I've owned a Jolida hybrid (1501A was the model I think) and was pleased with it. I've owned a Decware SET amp and had no problems with it at all. I think their integrated amp is reasonably priced. A friend recently bought a PrimaLuna preamp to go with his Parasound JC-1s and was pleased with the build quality, but found it to be very noisy. I'd never heard a component hum so loud.

[doorman]

http://www.decware.com/integrated/zint.htm

[tberd]

 Ming Da makes music . Price is definately right .


 http://www.meixingaudio.com/ENGLISH/index.htm

http://www.meixingaudio.com/ENGLISH/products/mc805-aa.htm


tberd

[Mathew_M]

I'm not sure what your speaker efficiency is but the Jolida line offers a 'budget' tube model ranging from 20-100 watts.  I own a 302b and I think it's a great value on the used market.  You can also get it new for not much more if you shop around.

[lcrim]

I've been looking for a decent integrated to use with a pair of Sonus Faber Concertino Homes that I "gave" to my girl friend so that there would be a decent pair of speakers there to listen to.  The Eastern Electric Minimax 520 Integrated really appeals to me as the sound quality is extrordinary, there is a remote and there are lots of available adjustments to tune things properly.  You can fool with neg feedback and there is a switch on the remote to put it in ultaliner mode.  All in all, a very nice piece of kit@ $1800.

[friend2alldogs]

This is a good deal if still available http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=32018.0. Antique Sound Labs makes some nice tube gear too

[Bill Baker]

Check out Cayin, PrimaLuna, Dared, Jolida.

 These are all very good options.

Ming Da makes music . Price is definitely right .

 You are absolutely correct. Ming-Da has the potential of providing a very good value. I do, however, recommend proceeding with caution. There are still a few quality control and quality consistency issues associated with some of these products. Buy from a reputable outfit located in the US that stands behind their products.

[robert1325]

check out pacificvalve.us,    some nice tube amps on there

[PaulFolbrecht]

I've owned a Jolida hybrid (1501A was the model I think) and was pleased with it. I've owned a Decware SET amp and had no problems with it at all. I think their integrated amp is reasonably priced. A friend recently bought a PrimaLuna preamp to go with his Parasound JC-1s and was pleased with the build quality, but found it to be very noisy. I'd never heard a component hum so loud.

Something is wacky there.  I previously owned a PL 3 pre and it was dead quiet.  No mechanical or electrical hum (speakers) at all.  This is what the reviewers have said as well.  The unit has an astounding S/N spec, something like -122dB.

Perhaps he had a bad unit, or a ground loop.

(I sold this unit because I found that it had a bit of a "fat" sound compared to, say, the ModWright.)

[PaulFolbrecht]

A bit more thoughts here now that I have some time.

The quality of both the PL and Cayin gear is pretty astounding for the money.  I once owned the PL3/7 combo and currently have a Cayin A88.  Over the long haul the PL gear wasn't so much my thing in terms of taste but you can't fault the quality in any way. 

The A88 was just as perfectly built as the PL but the sound happened to suit me a bit better - faster and leaner.  Probably this is due just to the choice of drivers tubes.  The A88 now resides with my gf in her system.  It represents such value, I would have a hard time selling it.

Turns out I also owned an Onix SP3.  THAT little thing, if you can snag it at the sale price of $700, represents near-crazy value in terms of build and features.  Stepped attenuator!!  To my ears it didn't sound as good as the Cayin or the PL gear, though.  Not quite as good.  No major weak points, just an overall impression.  I don't recall details as this was nearly a year ago now.

[Rob Babcock]

I am almost certainly going to buy an SP3 again.  Foolishly I let mine go last year and have been kicking myself ever since.