I have $7000 to spend, put together a tube amp and preamp for me

Tyson · « **Reply #40 on:** 5 Jun 2018, 03:31 pm »

I'd recommend the Don Sachs offerings that are popular here on this forum. Both use 6SN7s as driver tubes, which is IMO one of the very best sounding tubes out there:

http://www.dsachsconsulting.com/custom%20line%20stage.html

and

http://www.dsachsconsulting.com/custom%20kt88%20tube%20amp.html

brucemarnold · « **Reply #41 on:** 5 Jun 2018, 03:37 pm »

Quote from: Tyson on 5 Jun 2018, 03:31 pm

I'd recommend the Don Sachs offerings that are popular here on this forum. Both use 6SN7s as driver tubes, which is IMO one of the very best sounding tubes out there:

http://www.dsachsconsulting.com/custom%20line%20stage.html

and

http://www.dsachsconsulting.com/custom%20kt88%20tube%20amp.html

I have to admit.. this is the way that I'm leaning.. especially if you can call the guy and customize the setup to some extent.

mick wolfe · « **Reply #42 on:** 5 Jun 2018, 04:06 pm »

That's a solid choice. Plus with 60-70 tube watts per side, you'll have a decent variety of speakers to choose from. That said, I'd look for speakers with a benign impedance curve and 92 db and above in efficiency.

rollo · « **Reply #43 on:** 5 Jun 2018, 04:47 pm »

For me the Audio Hungary Qualiton line is hard to beat. Class "A" operation Integrated amps at 20W [ $4750] and 50W [ $7450]. Or Audio Hungary APR204 preamp/phono [MM] [ 2k] and AH APX 200 100W amp [ $4750]. Classic tube sound that has weight, clarity and focus. Using NOS Tungstram and Tungsol tubes as stock tubes. The poor man's Lamm for sure. I just bought the mono blocks.

charles

JackD · « **Reply #44 on:** 5 Jun 2018, 05:14 pm »

You can adjust the sound of the ST-100 by changing out the 12AX7'a and 12AU7's also with the preamp so if this amp fits your needs and price range go for it and put a "lusher" sounding preamp in front of it.

brucemarnold · « **Reply #45 on:** 5 Jun 2018, 05:22 pm »

Quote from: JackD on 5 Jun 2018, 05:14 pm

You can adjust the sound of the ST-100 by changing out the 12AX7'a and 12AU7's also with the preamp so if this amp fits your needs and price range go for it and put a "lusher" sounding preamp in front of it.

Do you have a recommendation for a lusher preamp with a remote volume control?

OzarkTom · « **Reply #46 on:** 5 Jun 2018, 05:43 pm »

I use the IFI Pro Ican with remote volume. There are many features on this pre-amp, including two tube modes, and a SS mode. You can make it too lush depending on the adjustment you use. Extra bass and the tube+ mode can give you that. It also is a great headphone amp.

JackD · « **Reply #47 on:** 5 Jun 2018, 05:54 pm »

Depends on if you are planning to buy the ST-100 new or used and how much you would have left over if $7000 is your limit.

brucemarnold · « **Reply #48 on:** 5 Jun 2018, 06:08 pm »

Quote from: JackD on 5 Jun 2018, 05:54 pm

Depends on if you are planning to buy the ST-100 new or used and how much you would have left over if $7000 is your limit.

Well, throw some options at me so that I can get an idea, here...

FullRangeMan · « **Reply #49 on:** 5 Jun 2018, 06:23 pm »

I yet think integrated is the way to go, tubes or SS.

genjamon · « **Reply #50 on:** 5 Jun 2018, 07:27 pm »

Quote from: WGH on 2 Jun 2018, 02:18 am

I demoed a TRL Dude in my system with the Salk HT2-TL speakers (RAAL tweeter) and found the sound too smoooooth for my taste. The pre-amps owner ended up selling the Dude to try out something with more energy. An excellent pre-amp but definitely system dependent so without knowing your speakers the pre-amp and amp recommendations will be all over the map.

Just seeing this, Wayne. I didn’t sell the Dude for something with more energy at all. I went straight from DAC to amp for a while because I thought it was good enough, but came to regret it later and now have a Don Sachs pre between DAC and amp. If I had it to do over, I would have kept the Dude all along.

I personally liked your Salks better with the Dude in the chain. So yeah, personal taste is pretty huge variable.

Also, Bob is the guy who bought my Dude!!!

Gotta love this hobby...

genjamon · « **Reply #51 on:** 5 Jun 2018, 07:37 pm »

If I was playing a lot of electronica and ethereal stuff and still wanted tubes, I’d recommend checking out the Linear Tube Audio stuff. It’s on the cleaner and more neutral and not as lush side of the tube sound. Excels at detail retrieval and throwing a high soundstage and massive amount of air for reverb. I auditioned their MZ2 preamp and ended up preferring the Don Sachs for my tastes. A richer and more soulful sound, but at the expense of a little of the MZ2’s detail, air, and amazing bass clarity and weight. I preferred the MZ2 with the electronica I heard.

who?me? · « **Reply #52 on:** 5 Jun 2018, 07:38 pm »

OP has tons of options, esp. with a $7k budget. But ya gotta start somewhere.
PrimaLuna is a solid choice, I have the HP INTEGRATED, their TOTL Integrated.

I don’t have AC here is CA, so I have to give up the PrimaLuna for cooler Class D.
But if I had AC, I would double down on PrimaLuna with the PREAMP AND AMP COMBO.
That would give me the “heft” of musical tone that I like. By heft, I also mean the feeling of live music, of “presence” of the music.

But since the OP doesn’t want “too tubey” a sound, I would just recommend the HP Integrated.
It won’t be too tubey, and in my tube-rolling experience with it, I can make the sound more tubey or less tubey, so the sound can be fine-tuned to my liking with a variety of speakers.
The PrimaLuna also has great hi/lo frequency extension

So many choices for you ... a hybrid tube/SS amp is an obvious choice, as well as separates
E.g., BAT, Balanced Audio Tech Integrated hybrid amp,
And many others

who?me? · « **Reply #53 on:** 5 Jun 2018, 07:47 pm »

+1 MicroZotl units.

I believe these tube units have a less traditional tube sound, but instead sound cleaner,
faster, less distortion (tho some tube distortion can be good and give a “presence” to the music),
super deep soundstage per Clayton Shaw of Spatial Audio, who has told me last year
he was using MicroZotl at some trade shows with his Spatial Series speakers.

What about Vinnie Rossi LIO, his Integrated amp units with a couple tubes in the preAmp section.
You can also add an internal DAC and or Phono section if you like.
There have been quite a few on the used market the last few months for great prices.

OP, it would be awesome to pay someone to build a custom unit for you (Dan Sachs),
but what if you spend $7k on a custom job, then get it, and it’s not the sound you are looking for?
Can you return a Custom job??
Perhaps request a loaner first, then decide if you wanna pull the trigger... negotiate

ketcham · « **Reply #54 on:** 5 Jun 2018, 07:56 pm »

Buy used gear cheap or estate sale. find some excellent mcintosh amps at estate sales for peanuts. Allnic is excellent quality and cheap used.

2bigears · « **Reply #55 on:** 5 Jun 2018, 08:00 pm »

AVA top pre and amp together add to cheap so more to spend on the rest of the system.

genjamon · « **Reply #56 on:** 5 Jun 2018, 08:02 pm »

Yeah, there’s an Allnic pre in the AC classifieds at the right price for the OP that I’ve been listing after for a while. With a new baby and change in job, I just can’t afford any major system changes at this point, and may actually need to sell off/simplify in the coming year. Otherwise I’d be all over giving that Allnic a try.

A_shah · « **Reply #57 on:** 5 Jun 2018, 08:44 pm »

Quote from: brucemarnold on 5 Jun 2018, 03:30 pm

Lush/tube-y sound or more neutral, tho?

Neutral ! not lush tuby at all ! KeF LS 50 are very revealing , most reviewer use it to review equipment will point out faults or a bad recording they sound GR8 with QS Integrated except their is a draw back to the amp it does not have a remote control
The choice of DS-2 Pre-amp and the Kooteney may also be good except I have not heard the DS-KT-88 amp so I cannot comment !

Asghar

Tubeburner · « **Reply #58 on:** 5 Jun 2018, 08:47 pm »

Like most of these threads, every amp and preamp option are listed and this all comes down to each persons personal preference. With your budget, you need to get out and listen to systems, go to a show or two and make your best guess using your ears and your brain. Wanting others to choose for you will not get you the sound you personally desire. You haven't chosen speakers, front end , wire, power conditioning, amp or preamp, so this is basically a waste of time. Personal preference doesn't matter if it's not your preference. Let's just list every combination possible......

brucemarnold · « **Reply #59 on:** 5 Jun 2018, 08:48 pm »

Quote from: ketcham on 5 Jun 2018, 07:56 pm

Buy used gear cheap or estate sale. find some excellent mcintosh amps at estate sales for peanuts. Allnic is excellent quality and cheap used.

I noticed that there's a black Rouge ST-100 on sale for $2200.. I might pull the trigger on that, but I would really want to make sure the preamp is at least somewhat/fairly lush if I were to get that.