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Thread: AMP upgrade question?

  1. #1
    Join Date: Jan 2016

    Location: Hull

    Posts: 348
    I'm paul.

    Question AMP upgrade question?

    AMP upgrade question?

    Anyone have any experience of the Lumley Reference ST70 amp? Does anyone know the retail price when it was new (rumoured to be £5000)?

    At the moment I have the Puresound 2A3 with rolled NOS valves. RRP £2100.

    Would anyone think this could turn out to be a worthwhile upgrade?
    John Wood 6L6 Valve Amp, with:

    6L6GC Russian Original (no logo) Output Tubes 4x, supplied by J.Wood.
    ECC81 Mullard NOS Input Tubes 2x
    12AU7 (ECC82) Brimar NOS Input Tubes 2x

    Wilson Benesch Actor Loudspeakers.

    REL Stampede Subwoofer.

    Cary Audio 100t Dac.
    M2Tech Hi-Face 2 RCA USB to S/PDIF (co-axial) converter.

    HP Pavilion G6 - 2382sa D0Y14EA#ABU + "The Teddy" 19/3 - 19V 3.5A LPSU.

    The Missing Link Ultra-Pure System ~ EPS-100 ~Audiophile Silver Un-switched Double Wall Socket +
    APC ‘SurgeArrest’ Surge protector - PM1W-UK (Schneider), + AG500P Power Inspired mains – ‘pure sine wave’ re-generator.

    Sennheiser HD 558 headset.

  2. #2
    Join Date: Jan 2016

    Location: Hull

    Posts: 348
    I'm paul.

    Default

    OK, so the Lumley 'sold'!!

    Let's put it a different way:

    I have a Puresound 2A3 with NOS valves installed.

    If I wanted to go to the so called 'next level' in sonic performance (cleaner sound, better separation etc) does anyone know what would be a good upgrade?

    Some reviews of the 2A3 say that it can hold its own against other amps costing 2 or 3 times the price? If that were the case, there would be no viable upgrade below £6000??

    Maybe something like a Unison Research or Ayon?

    John Wood 6L6 Valve Amp, with:

    6L6GC Russian Original (no logo) Output Tubes 4x, supplied by J.Wood.
    ECC81 Mullard NOS Input Tubes 2x
    12AU7 (ECC82) Brimar NOS Input Tubes 2x

    Wilson Benesch Actor Loudspeakers.

    REL Stampede Subwoofer.

    Cary Audio 100t Dac.
    M2Tech Hi-Face 2 RCA USB to S/PDIF (co-axial) converter.

    HP Pavilion G6 - 2382sa D0Y14EA#ABU + "The Teddy" 19/3 - 19V 3.5A LPSU.

    The Missing Link Ultra-Pure System ~ EPS-100 ~Audiophile Silver Un-switched Double Wall Socket +
    APC ‘SurgeArrest’ Surge protector - PM1W-UK (Schneider), + AG500P Power Inspired mains – ‘pure sine wave’ re-generator.

    Sennheiser HD 558 headset.

  3. #3
    danilo Guest

    Default

    Something from Nelson Pass perhaps ??

  4. #4
    Join Date: Aug 2009

    Location: Staffordshire, England

    Posts: 37,771
    I'm Martin.

    Default

    Does it have to be valve? Does it have to be new?

    I'd take a Radford STA15 over the Puresound any day of the week and I don't think they are anything like £6K new. A used one could be had for £1500, factor in the cost of a service and new valves, maybe 2 grand tops.
    Current Lash Up:

    TEAC VRDS 701T > Sony TAE1000ESD > Krell KSA50S > JM Labs Focal Electra 926.

  5. #5
    Join Date: Jan 2016

    Location: Hull

    Posts: 348
    I'm paul.

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by danilo View Post
    Something from Nelson Pass perhaps ??
    Thanks, not heard of nelson, more info?
    John Wood 6L6 Valve Amp, with:

    6L6GC Russian Original (no logo) Output Tubes 4x, supplied by J.Wood.
    ECC81 Mullard NOS Input Tubes 2x
    12AU7 (ECC82) Brimar NOS Input Tubes 2x

    Wilson Benesch Actor Loudspeakers.

    REL Stampede Subwoofer.

    Cary Audio 100t Dac.
    M2Tech Hi-Face 2 RCA USB to S/PDIF (co-axial) converter.

    HP Pavilion G6 - 2382sa D0Y14EA#ABU + "The Teddy" 19/3 - 19V 3.5A LPSU.

    The Missing Link Ultra-Pure System ~ EPS-100 ~Audiophile Silver Un-switched Double Wall Socket +
    APC ‘SurgeArrest’ Surge protector - PM1W-UK (Schneider), + AG500P Power Inspired mains – ‘pure sine wave’ re-generator.

    Sennheiser HD 558 headset.

  6. #6
    Join Date: Jan 2016

    Location: Hull

    Posts: 348
    I'm paul.

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Macca View Post
    Does it have to be valve? Does it have to be new?

    I'd take a Radford STA15 over the Puresound any day of the week and I don't think they are anything like £6K new. A used one could be had for £1500, factor in the cost of a service and new valves, maybe 2 grand tops.
    Thanks not heard of the radford, more info perhaps? when you say: "I don't think THEY are anything like £6k new" ...what is "they"? (I did answer another thread asking if the croft series 3 'R' OTL was £6k new though)? cheers!

    Radford STA15 original/re-issue or either?

    http://www.affordablevalvecompany.com/faq9rep.htm
    Last edited by the_doc735; 26-04-2017 at 21:57.
    John Wood 6L6 Valve Amp, with:

    6L6GC Russian Original (no logo) Output Tubes 4x, supplied by J.Wood.
    ECC81 Mullard NOS Input Tubes 2x
    12AU7 (ECC82) Brimar NOS Input Tubes 2x

    Wilson Benesch Actor Loudspeakers.

    REL Stampede Subwoofer.

    Cary Audio 100t Dac.
    M2Tech Hi-Face 2 RCA USB to S/PDIF (co-axial) converter.

    HP Pavilion G6 - 2382sa D0Y14EA#ABU + "The Teddy" 19/3 - 19V 3.5A LPSU.

    The Missing Link Ultra-Pure System ~ EPS-100 ~Audiophile Silver Un-switched Double Wall Socket +
    APC ‘SurgeArrest’ Surge protector - PM1W-UK (Schneider), + AG500P Power Inspired mains – ‘pure sine wave’ re-generator.

    Sennheiser HD 558 headset.

  7. #7
    Join Date: Jan 2016

    Location: Hull

    Posts: 348
    I'm paul.

    Default

    OK, so here's the scenario:

    I have the Puresound 2A3 with vintage NOS valves all round (mullard/RCA/kEN rAD) RRP around £3000 with these valves fitted! I would say £1500 second hand price? Anyone want to buy it?

    Have I reached HiFi nirvana or is there room for an upgrade?

    Suggestions are: Radford & Nelson Pass.

    Don't know how I could get to hear these! ~ Local demo shops are useless because they have a vested interest in selling you their own stock (i.e. new)! If you turn up with a listed of a dozen or so secondhand amps they cannot fulfill my request + they don't have my DAC AND SPEAKERS! And there demo rooms are nothing like my particular living environment!

    It would be unrealistic to buy every amp I want to demo! The amps I want to demo would be 'used' (not new) and valve based. Shipping costs often rule out american imports (i.e. shipping costs more than the amp it self).

    Any suggestions? Should I just stick with the Puresound on the basis that there is no effective upgrade/improvement beyond this point? AND does more expensive mean better quality in sound reproduction ?

    There are amps out there costing 4, 6, 8, 10k +, but do they offer greater sonic pleasure beyond the puresound 2A3?
    John Wood 6L6 Valve Amp, with:

    6L6GC Russian Original (no logo) Output Tubes 4x, supplied by J.Wood.
    ECC81 Mullard NOS Input Tubes 2x
    12AU7 (ECC82) Brimar NOS Input Tubes 2x

    Wilson Benesch Actor Loudspeakers.

    REL Stampede Subwoofer.

    Cary Audio 100t Dac.
    M2Tech Hi-Face 2 RCA USB to S/PDIF (co-axial) converter.

    HP Pavilion G6 - 2382sa D0Y14EA#ABU + "The Teddy" 19/3 - 19V 3.5A LPSU.

    The Missing Link Ultra-Pure System ~ EPS-100 ~Audiophile Silver Un-switched Double Wall Socket +
    APC ‘SurgeArrest’ Surge protector - PM1W-UK (Schneider), + AG500P Power Inspired mains – ‘pure sine wave’ re-generator.

    Sennheiser HD 558 headset.

  8. #8
    Join Date: Sep 2013

    Location: North Island New Zealand

    Posts: 1,757
    I'm Chris.

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by the_doc735 View Post
    OK, so here's the scenario:

    I have the Puresound 2A3 with vintage NOS valves all round (mullard/RCA/kEN rAD) RRP around £3000 with these valves fitted! I would say £1500 second hand price? Anyone want to buy it?

    Have I reached HiFi nirvana or is there room for an upgrade?

    Suggestions are: Radford & Nelson Pass.

    Don't know how I could get to hear these! ~ Local demo shops are useless because they have a vested interest in selling you their own stock (i.e. new)! If you turn up with a listed of a dozen or so secondhand amps they cannot fulfill my request + they don't have my DAC AND SPEAKERS! And there demo rooms are nothing like my particular living environment!

    It would be unrealistic to buy every amp I want to demo! The amps I want to demo would be 'used' (not new) and valve based. Shipping costs often rule out american imports (i.e. shipping costs more than the amp it self).

    Any suggestions? Should I just stick with the Puresound on the basis that there is no effective upgrade/improvement beyond this point? AND does more expensive mean better quality in sound reproduction ?

    There are amps out there costing 4, 6, 8, 10k +, but do they offer greater sonic pleasure beyond the puresound 2A3?
    Hi Paul
    Remembering a power amp in most cases just faithfully obeys to amplify. If it is doing anything else
    then it is not a true amplifier. A amplifier is chosen to usually match well to a loudspeaker, to be reliable
    and to sound good as a result of having very low distortion.

    Quad put some solid work into making power amps. I would try to get to hear a 909, or a 306 before
    committing vast sums of money on any other types. I use 2 x 306 amps using one channel of each
    amplifier per channel. I achieve some of the best audio I have ever heard.

    I would above all though concentrate on attenuation, as it is where audio gets lost if ignored, and where if correctly chosen where audio is magnificent if done correctly. In other words you could be amplifying perfectly, but not enjoying at all what you are amplifying.

    Cheers / Chris

  9. #9
    Join Date: Aug 2009

    Location: Staffordshire, England

    Posts: 37,771
    I'm Martin.

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by the_doc735 View Post
    Thanks not heard of the radford, more info perhaps? when you say: "I don't think THEY are anything like £6k new" ...what is "they"? (I did answer another thread asking if the croft series 3 'R' OTL was £6k new though)? cheers!

    Radford STA15 original/re-issue or either?

    http://www.affordablevalvecompany.com/faq9rep.htm
    Review of the re-issue Radford here http://hifipig.com/radford-sta15-ser...sue-amplifier/

    You will need a high quality pre-amp to get the best out of it, which is what Chris was alluding to. If I was buying a valve power amp it is what I would get. review is from 2012 so I guess the price will be higher now.
    Last edited by Macca; 27-04-2017 at 07:39.
    Current Lash Up:

    TEAC VRDS 701T > Sony TAE1000ESD > Krell KSA50S > JM Labs Focal Electra 926.

  10. #10
    Join Date: Feb 2013

    Location: W Lothian

    Posts: 99,005
    I'm Grant.

    Default

    You might be best attending some bake offs and shows like nebo etc to hear whats out there and chat with the like minded.
    Last edited by struth; 27-04-2017 at 07:46.
    Regards,
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