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The Vinyl Adventure
20-07-2009, 18:42
if anyone has come across "dan jennings" on here you might be aware that i have just given away my nva p50 and a 30 along with a few other bits and bobs (part settling of a VERY long standing debt)

this has now left a large whole in my office system in the shape of amplification!

im useing the t-class in the bedroom under a ipod dock and im quite keen on keeping it there. so, for now, i am listening to music in the office through the laptop speakers .. no fun!

in the office im happy using a little dac with a volume control so was thinking of getting some kind of little power amp of sorts

i have a very tight budget maybe even as low as £50 but may be able to stretch it!i am aware that the t-class route is prob adviseable but im keen to find a power amp as aposed to integrated. im also keen to have a go with something a bit different to what i have already had

also smaller the better, i can make space for a full sized bit of kit but id rather not

speakers in use are dynaudio 42's that were quite adiquately powered by a t-class - its a very small room and i only listen a lowish volumes so i can concentrate on my work rather than getting carried away with the tunes

any thoughts anyone?

The Vinyl Adventure
20-07-2009, 18:46
also id be VERY happy making space for fullsized if it was for a bit of great value retro kit

also if anuone has anything hanging round they could let go id prefer to put money in to your pockets than trying to bid on ebay for stuff i am unsure of quality if you get my meaning

The Vinyl Adventure
20-07-2009, 21:07
no ideas anyone?

The Grand Wazoo
20-07-2009, 21:14
I'm working on the classic option Hamish!
No luck yet, though!

The Vinyl Adventure
20-07-2009, 21:20
cheers chris... im kinda tempted by either a older cyrus or nad 3020 but the cyrus seem a bit dear and i have had a bad experience with the 3020 .
im also thinking if i go for the older/bigger kit i might as well go vintage not just 80's if you know what i mean. get something with a bit of love in its build/design if that makes sence

The Grand Wazoo
20-07-2009, 21:24
get something with a bit of love in its build/design if that makes sence

I know exactly what you mean!!

Stratmangler
20-07-2009, 23:27
These of any interest http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/A-pair-of-classic-Rotel-RB-850-amplifiers_W0QQitemZ180383820482QQcmdZViewItemQQpt ZUK_AudioTVElectronics_HomeAudioHiFi_Amplifiers?ha sh=item29ffb6aac2&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=65%3A12|66%3A2|39%3A1|72%3A1300|293%3A1| 294%3A50 ?

Chris:)

Stratmangler
20-07-2009, 23:33
How about this http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/MUSE-T-AMP-TA2024-Class-T-HI-FI-Integrated-Amplifier_W0QQitemZ180372591539QQcmdZViewItemQQptZ UK_AudioTVElectronics_HomeAudioHiFi_Amplifiers?has h=item29ff0b53b3&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=65%3A12|66%3A2|39%3A1|72%3A1690|293%3A1| 294%3A50 ?

Chris:)

The Vinyl Adventure
21-07-2009, 17:43
hmm i just sold a rotel not so long ago as it sounded a bit muffled and dead sounding. i have seen the cheap t-class yes, and its def an option for a punt at that price, but i am looking at concidering other options before i go down the t-class route for a second time... nothing wrong with it as i said before... i just want something different from where i have gone before!

aquapiranha
21-07-2009, 20:13
I can ecommend an Arcam Alpha 3 amp (no laughing at he ack there...) no eally, I have one and on my FR's it sounds great when you consider it was supposed to be a budget item. I also recently sold a NAD 3020 on ebay, also a good sounding amp - you should be able to pick one up for around £50. Failing that there are always the various Tripath and chip amps mentioned.

RobHolt
22-07-2009, 01:04
£50 - no problem - look for an A&R A60.

roscoeiii
22-07-2009, 03:49
How about a Gainclone amp? Probably in the neighborhood of $150-170. A little more than the chip amps, but the other real amazing amp in this price range in my opinion. The Audiogon user Tim Rawson (username: Rawsonte) makes some of these and I love them in my bedroom system. Have a nice warm sound to them. They tend to show up pretty frequently on Audiogon. I got 2 monoblocks for under $200 total!

Tom472
22-07-2009, 11:27
Something by Quad maybe if you want vintage and well put together - not to everyone's liking though. The 303 and 405 are pretty compact, straight power amplifiers and can be had fairly cheaply. You may have to change the 30 year old filter caps though.

Regards
Tom

The Vinyl Adventure
22-07-2009, 18:03
not to everyone liking?

in terms of vintage kit i was hoping maybe someone could recomend something the looks nice, i could cope with it being a big old integrated if it looked pretty - so at least it is then worth while shifting the room around a bit.

i passed up on a mint pioneer sx-1280 about a year ago as it was HUGE!! i kind of regret it now, i could have made space for it in my office as it would have been big enough to use as a table for the photo scanner (im using a majik ds cardboard box at the mo)... that said i never actually plugged it in so i dont know how it sounded

this thread really sounds like i dont know what im after, so i will clarify

either

small modern bit of kit to fit on my desk and be out the way ... preferably power amp but integrated wouldnt be to much of a problem

or

big bit of vintage kit - id have to move stuff round a bit but if i can make a feature out of it thats fine.. obviously it needs to sound good too! and it could be a power amp, integrated, or even a reciver

thanks all for options so far ... not quite ticking the boxes completely though
am interested in the gainclone amps though if anyone can shed any more light?

The Grand Wazoo
22-07-2009, 19:19
Hamish,
Being a bit of a fan of old 70's receivers (well, OK - a lot of a fan of old........), I think something like that would fit the bill a treat. I didn't realise that was an option!

Many of the more sophisticated models had split pre/power sections, so you'd have a chance to play around with all sorts of options. All that & a tuner thrown in for free! The build quality was usually very good.
You should get a 1/2 decent one for your budget without any problem - I like the Sansui's, Yamahas & Marantz's. I've got a little Pioneer as well & use it often.

The build quality of the Marantz models went seriously downhill when they got to the 15xx & 2xx series, but the earlier ones with 'gyro-touch' tuning wheels are great.

The old Harman Kardon 230A & the like are good'uns too

What about a Quad Sansui?
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Sansui-QRX-6500-QRX6500-QS-4-Quadraphonic-Receiver_W0QQitemZ110415894626QQcmdZViewItemQQptZU K_AudioTVElectronics_HomeAudioHiFi_Amplifiers?hash =item19b54cd862&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=65%3A12%7C66%3A2%7C39%3A1%7C72%3A1690%7C 293%3A1%7C294%3A50

Or a beeeutiful Luxman - always wanted one of those...........
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/LUXMAN-R-1070-Amplifier-FM-AM-Receiver-75W-RMS-x-2_W0QQitemZ150360173515QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Audio TVElectronics_HomeAudioHiFi_Amplifiers?hash=item23 022a2bcb&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=65%3A12%7C66%3A2%7C39%3A1%7C72%3A1690%7C 293%3A1%7C294%3A50
I don't know what this will go for but an R1040 or 1050 will fetch about £70


A nice Sony, which should be well within your £50 budget
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/SONY-STR-6055-RECEIVER-RETRO-NICE-CONDITION-WORKING_W0QQitemZ300332187666QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK _AudioTVElectronics_HomeAudioHiFi_Amplifiers?hash= item45ed318012&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=65%3A12%7C66%3A2%7C39%3A1%7C72%3A1300%7C 293%3A5%7C294%3A50

You should've grabbed the SX1280!!

The Vinyl Adventure
23-07-2009, 01:07
There's loads of old kit I have passed on like that that I regret now, hindsight eh...
Anyway cheers chris I knew you would come good! I'm really struggling for money at the mo so I'm not in the market right now, although hopefully in the next week or so, with that in mind, is there anything that might be worth specifically looking for that does have a separate pre/power sections? Preferably something more open sounding than toward the overly warm end of the spectrum, if that makes sence? (apologees as always for my poor use of audiophiles adjectives, hopefully you get what sort of sound I'm aiming for?)

The Vinyl Adventure
23-07-2009, 01:10
...warmth is fine, as long as it's not at the detriment of detail...

I really wish I could explainy self when it comes to what I hear, I'd have much more to say for my self on here !!

DanJennings
23-07-2009, 14:29
I feel a little bit guilty now!

The Grand Wazoo
23-07-2009, 16:14
I feel a little bit guilty now!

Eh?

DanJennings
23-07-2009, 16:41
if anyone has come across "dan jennings" on here you might be aware that i have just given away my nva p50 and a 30 along with a few other bits and bobs (part settling of a VERY long standing debt)

this has now left a large whole in my office system in the shape of amplification!


feel like I've deprived hamish like a meanie!

The Vinyl Adventure
23-07-2009, 22:37
dont feet like a meanie good buddy, i was MORE than happy with what we spent the money on to acru this debt. a good hifi is worth a lot less to me than some good memorys of some fantastic nights out in the brumingham... snobs and ramshackle were actually good in those days dont forget!!!!

The Grand Wazoo
04-09-2009, 19:14
Hamish,
I don't know where you stand on the idea you had that made you originally post this now that you're looking at Avondale & kit amps & stuff.

I thought of you yesterday when I saw a certain something on Ebay - a big old Yamaha receiver with a pre in/power out splitter.

I have one a bit like it & I love it.
It had a buy it now price of £75 which I thought was very reasonable.
I forgot about it for some reason & I've only just remembered.
I was about to post the link to you, went onto Ebay to get it & saw it had already ended.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Yamaha-CR-1040-receiver_W0QQitemZ270448671704QQcmdZViewItemQQptZU K_AudioTVElectronics_HomeAudioHiFi_Amplifiers?hash =item3ef7ff3bd8&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14


JUST LOOK AT THE BLEEDIN' PRICE IT WENT FOR!!!!
I've seen the tuning knobs for these go for almost that!
Oops, sorry!!

The Vinyl Adventure
05-09-2009, 09:36
That is silly isn't it, I guess it must be the amarican voltage putting people off or something!
I used up all my luck getting my 1210 so cheap! I recon there must be I limit on the amount of good deals one person is allowed in a year! If I hadn't had got those 1210's the forces that be would have guided you more fervently to point it out to me, but as it is , with my good deal quota used up for this year, they mad you forget... ... ...

Erm ... Anyway ...I got a pair of home made gainclone off puffin for space reasons in the end, they sit nicely on top the speakers in the office. I just couldn't have really found the space in the end.
I do still lust after a big old vintage system though! It's just apace at the moment. When we get into a new place I think I'm going to build a bedroom system out of vintage kit!
It still burns that I passed on that old pioneer 1280!!

Cheers for thinking of me though! Spot any more crazy deals like that, let me know!(if the forces allow it) I'm not out the market all together!

The Grand Wazoo
05-09-2009, 09:49
Well, if I'd known I could have had it for that price (well I suppose it would be a bit more)
I'd've had a go myself!!