Please show me the light...Amplifier under USD1500/GBP1000

[aBe]

I hate it when the urge to get something new just for the sake of owning it keeps popping up on my mind, subdued only by submitting to the urge itself.
Well I'm speaking about 'Upgraditis' if you people out there need to know..

I am at peace with the front end or sources at this mo.
It's the Amplification which I think is in dire need for some makeover.

My current amplifiers consist of a HLLY TAmp20, Creek 4330 MKII, Topping TP20 and Nuforce Icon. (In descending order, sound quality wise). These are matched to Epos M12.2 speakers and Caiman Gator DAC.

I'd appreciate if you enlightened folks out there could suggest some Amps that can possibly replace the HLLY T20 in my system. I'm looking for something under USD1500 - Warm, transparent and detail with taut bass.

I have the Anthem 225 in mind (yet to demo it) but recommendations on other better amps are most welcomed.

Cheers

[Ali Tait]

Save yourself a few quid and buy these-

http://www.templeaudio.net/monoblock.html

If you like your Tripath amps you will love these. Lots of threads on here about them.

[worthingpagan]

I highly reccommend the Yamaha A S500 integrated, it sounds terrific for the money (£300). Don't be fooled by the price, it puts amps at 3 or 4 X it's price to shame.

[John]

If you willing to pay a bit more think about a croft

[Effem]

My nomination is the amp I own now, the XTZ Desire. 50 watts of Class A and a top up of 180 AB watts if that aint enough for you :eyebrows:

Well within your budget too :)

I can honestly say it is an amp I have been waiting years for and very happy with it.

http://www.audiosanctum.co.uk/Integrated-Amplifiers/XTZ-Class-A-100-D3-Integrated-Stereo-Amplifier-Silver-and-Black.html

[aBe]

Thanks for the suggestions. I'll check those out soon.

Mark & Ali,
Of course I'd be grinning wider on something which is waaay below my budget. ;)

The Bantam Mono looks tempting, and I love D/T amps - but I got to have extra Inputs on the new amp.

[DSJR]

Rega Brio R should see any T amps off the planet ;)

Also, tread dangerously and try a Harmon Kardon HK990 - incredibly powerful, very well priced and liked by those who've heard it :)

[aBe]

Dave,
I'm OK with exploring into uncharted lands
But Holy cow..The HK990 is selling around MYR8000 (GBP1600) here in Kuala Lumpur !

Will spend the weekend checking out Yammy and SimAudio Moon then...and Rega Brio too.

[Yomanze]

Exposure amps go well with Epos. For your particular speakers I'd go for the Exposure 2010, 2010S or 2010S2 integrated amplifiers. Nice sweet sound for solid state, but with loads of PRaT & awesome bass. I demoed mine alongside the Naim Nait 5i and it had all the pace & drive, but with a MUCH more natural sound. Cheaper too. :)

[DSJR]

Dave,
I'm OK with exploring into uncharted lands
But Holy cow..The HK990 is selling around MYR8000 (GBP1600) here in Kuala Lumpur !

Will spend the weekend checking out Yammy and SimAudio Moon then...and Rega Brio too.

I only mentioned the HK990 because it can be got for well under a grand over here -

http://www.atlantic2u.com/Product/HARMAN%20KARDON/Audio/HK990/GoogleBase/

[aBe]

I only mentioned the HK990 because it can be got for well under a grand over here -


Well, for all you know they might've brought those HK amps using private planes to KL, hence the skyrocketed price over here. :doh:

I expect Yammy and Exposure to have better pricing adjustment as they are being made by my countrymen.
Rega Brio R is yet to arrive on our shores, and the waiting hurts.

[hifi_dave]

Not sure if you have Croft where you are but the new Integrated (P) at £1K takes some beating (or equalling).

[jostber]

You also have the Apollon valve amplifier discussed in threads here previously:

http://theartofsound.net/forum/showthread.php?p=237996#post237996

[aBe]

Googling 'Croft in KL' returned some Lara Croft as the results :lol:

[jostber]

Googling 'Croft in KL' returned some Lara Croft as the results :lol:

To google "croft audio -lara" would be safer. :)

[hifi_dave]

Googling 'Croft in KL' returned some Lara Croft as the results :lol:

There is a link to Croft on this Forum, in the trade section.

[StanleyB]

If you really want to get your hands on the latest Croft amps then the person to contact is Adrian at http://www.audioflair.co.uk/
He tends to be involved in the R&D and products launch dates well before anyone else even knows about a forthcoming Croft amp. I even borrow some of the Croft prototype gear from him to test my DACs.

[colinB]

Heard the Creek evo 2 and liked it. Has the type of bass youre looking for.

[Ali Tait]

NVA might be worth a look too. Lots of peeps seem to like it.

[jostber]

This used valve amp could be a good buy:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/World-Audio-KT88-Valve-amp-beats-Audio-Innovations-/250872806673?pt=UK_AudioTVElectronics_HomeAudioHiF i_Amplifiers&hash=item3a692f3d11

or you can bid on this:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Integrated-Valve-Amplifier-2-X-25-Watts-AD-601-BNIB-/270797207368?pt=UK_AudioTVElectronics_HomeAudioHiF i_Amplifiers&hash=item3f0cc57748

Icon Audio:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Icon-Audio-Stereo-60-MkI-Valve-Amp-Ex-Display-Bargain-/320708305860?pt=UK_AudioTVElectronics_HomeAudioHiF i_Amplifiers&hash=item4aabb463c4

Could be good value - AVC:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Affordable-Valve-Company-80-120-watt-valve-amplifier-/120114466053?pt=UK_AudioTVElectronics_HomeAudioHiF i_Amplifiers&hash=item1bf7614d05

[colinB]

65w icon audio. Bet thats nice.

[aBe]

Thanks again for the suggestions.
It has been fun discovering all those nice toys that I can drool over..
I think I need to rule out Valve amps as I don't think I can live with the hassle of the TLC they might require. Googling on, the oldish NVA integrateds seem to be a worthy alternative to the LFD Mistral series..which I really like as well but will be nowhere to be found on this side of Earth here.

BTW, on a different note I'm wondering whether Class D/ T amp performance would degrade over time with normal use. I think both my Tripath amps are becoming 'softer' by the day, more pronounce roll off of the top end and the bass is getting weaker too. In fact now I've reverted to the old Creek 4330 MkII which plays lovely music as usual, and to my surprise - sounds miles better than the Class D amps that displaced it from the stable much earlier !

I am none the wiser... :scratch:

[jostber]

Thanks again for the suggestions.
It has been fun discovering all those nice toys that I can drool over..
I think I need to rule out Valve amps as I don't think I can live with the hassle of the TLC they might require. Googling on, the oldish NVA integrateds seem to be a worthy alternative to the LFD Mistral series..which I really like as well but will be nowhere to be found on this side of Earth here.

BTW, on a different note I'm wondering whether Class D/ T amp performance would degrade over time with normal use. I think both my Tripath amps are becoming 'softer' by the day, more pronounce roll off of the top end and the bass is getting weaker too. In fact now I've reverted to the old Creek 4330 MkII which plays lovely music as usual, and to my surprise - sounds miles better than the Class D amps that displaced it from the stable much earlier !

I am none the wiser... :scratch:

That goes to show just thinking about other alternatives made the Creek pull it's stuff together and start to deliver it's potential. A well-known incident in the sound world. :)

[aBe]

Eureka !

What a revelation.
It finally dawned on me that the whole reason why the Creek is sounding great at this moment is all because of one accidental tweak.

That unassuming euphoric aural enhancer is none other than adding a pair of Interconnect to the Pre-Out and leaving them freely dangling there.

In my case, there were there because I forgot to remove them after trying to turn the Creek into a Pre amp for the Hlly.

Of course, mandatory confirmation test had already followed suit.
I took out the IC…mmm…deja vu, everything sounds familiar.
Plugged them back…Holy moo! It's a totally new amp altogether.
I rest my case, it's just so out of any textbook that I have read.

The Creek has never sounded so mellifluous, truly engaging like it is now, and I'm glad that it took me 'just' 10 years to get into this discovery… :doh:

[John]

Well glad you no longer have the issue of buying an amp

[aBe]

Well glad you no longer have the issue of buying an amp

Nah. Blame it on you guys.
I now had an insurmountable urge to put my Creek head to head against the Yamaha AS1000/2000 and the new Brio R..and see how it goes from there on.

[aBe]

Like what the Don said, You gotta do what you gotta do.

Just got myself a new Rega Brio R a few days ago.
It's still on a running-in streak, but I'm already having a really soft spot for this little amp. Great low end, very clean sounding and waaay transparent compared to the Creek or those T-amps.

It's going to be a future Masterpiece..

[jostber]

Like what the Don said, You gotta do what you gotta do.

Just got myself a new Rega Brio R a few days ago.
It's still on a running-in streak, but I'm already having a really soft spot for this little amp. Great low end, very clean sounding and waaay transparent compared to the Creek or those T-amps.

It's going to be a future Masterpiece..

Congrats! :thumbsup:

[aBe]

Thanks Jost.

I think next in line it would be the cheap but wonderful sounding NAD C316BEE just for the sake of keeping home another classic hifi in the making.

And the Standac Bushmaster too..

It's good to know there exist good kits that can be had with less money nowadays .