Advice on new power amp

[DSJR]

Just take care with cable choice. This combo can sound a little tense and hard and "raw" if you get it wrong. Bi-amping helps these two well IMO...

P.S. The 306 ain't a 303, nor is it a scaled down 405-2 either IMO. Obviously never listened to on anything other than simple acoustic music as it doesn't "do" percussion very well I found.

[sburrell]

Got outbid on the Arcam 8/8P combo - no surprises there.

A&R Cambridge A60 is a very good cheap secondhand buy

One's just turned up on eBay, item #230393295216. What's the max I should bid? Ends today (Sunday) at 7.40pm.

[Rare Bird]

Thought you wanted a power amp Si? Those A60's go for peanuts usually but that is a very nice example which may drag the bidding up a tad, i'd say 80 quid max due to this but i'd say a bit excessive usually 30-50, bid as high as you can afford..Looks like an early example with discrete phonostage, the later ones had NE5532 IC's if i remember, good replacement for those were the Analogue devices AD712JN..If you win i recon those PSU caps need changing...If it is an old one they were 6,800uF, change em for 10,000uF..

[sastusbulbas]

I personally don't see any need to just limit yourself to a power amp just because your DAC has a volume control, but an alternative to getting something from Graham at Retro would be an Alesis RA 150 or 300 or 500 or a Behringer A500.

usually under £150 retail, and cheap on eBay.

http://www.dolphinmusic.co.uk/produc...fier-a500.html

[Rare Bird]

I personally don't see any need to just limit yourself to a power amp just because your DAC has a volume control, but an alternative to getting something from Graham at Retro would be an Alesis RA 150 or 300 or 500 or a Behringer A500.

usually under £150 retail, and cheap on eBay.

http://www.dolphinmusic.co.uk/produc...fier-a500.html

Those Alesis RA150 are a bit rought sounding don't ya think?

[DSJR]

Rob Holt has written a great piece in the PF reference section regarding re-juvenating an A60. the later ones had a bit more "grip" on the phono input and a tauter feel all round, without destroying the early model's musicality.. They're a PITA to take apart for service apparently, but do it right and you'll have a bargain for well under a ton (prices creeping up though I think).

The Creek 4140 weren't bad either and clearer IMO than the 4040 which is very popular. the 4140 under-cut the A60 by around £50 and it's this that helped turn the A60 into the "solid-state sounding" Delta 60, which needs beefy sounding wires to sound "right." (Arcam imported Audioquest back then).

[sburrell]

The A&R A60 went for £93 + £12.50. I didn't bother bidding, as I wasn't convinced the value-for-money was there in this instance.

Thought you wanted a power amp Si?

Yeah, I know, but I thought I'd keep my options open. Besides, I respect the opinions I get on this forum, and figured that seeing as no-one brought up any objections to the A60 I'd keep my eyes open.

I personally don't see any need to just limit yourself to a power amp just because your DAC has a volume control

I think I was just trying to get more bang for my buck---I thought I'd get a better system overall by not wasting money on unnecessary pre-amp controls etc. included on an integrated, not to mention a cleaner signal path.

The Creek 4140 weren't bad either and clearer IMO than the 4040 which is very popular.

Ah, Creek. Always liked the look of them. Never heard one though. I'll add that to my list of options. But did they do a power amp?

[Rare Bird]

How insaine is £93.00 you did right not bidding, nrver seen one go for that before especially an old one..

[DSJR]

The more the likes of us/me keep banging on about the A60, the higher the selling price will be...

Just get a Quad 303 and fit new supply and output caps to it at least. As long as the speakers' impedance doesn't dip too severely, you'll get a great musical sound that'll still hold its own and if the physical condition is good and you do nothing else, the amp will hold it's value well. Interconnects to it can be got for not much money too.

[Macca]

How insaine is £93.00 you did right not bidding, nrver seen one go for that before especially an old one..

I loved the A60 - and for a clean, little used example £100 and change is pretty fair IMO. What could you buy new for the same money that could even touch it?