FS: Croft Syntegra Integrated Amplifier

[technobear]

For Sale: Croft Syntegra Integrated Amplifier

90 Watts per channel valve/MOSFET hybrid. 4 line level inputs. 1 tape output. 1 set of speaker binding posts. All gold plated.

Boutique components throughout. Point-to-point silver wiring. Very good quality binding posts.

Upgraded Glasshouse Seiden/Takman metal film stepped attenuator.

Upgraded Elna precious metal selector switch.

Upgraded GE JAN 5751 valves (cryo treated) plus one spare brand new, tested but otherwise unused pair of same.

The stainless steel case has a few minor swirls and the odd ding. It’s better than it was since I’ve been at it with the Brasso and would probably polish up a bit more but looks good nonetheless. The acrylic front panel and knobs look good.

I suggest you bring your own speakers if you want to audition as my current pair will not do this amp justice. This is a stunning amplifier, outstanding in every way. Fast and deep, tight, extremely transparent, unfailingly musical. Combines the best attributes of valve and solid state with none of the downsides.

I’m selling for the same reason I sold the Zu’s – my music listening is now done on headphones in anticipation of an imminent downsizing. The speakers (Jamo Cornet 145) are only now used for TV and background so this Croft can no longer be justified. Something far more pedestrian will suffice.

I don’t have the original box but I have an Arcam one that will do. A standard kettle lead is included. Collection or local delivery only. This is too precious to entrust to couriers.

As to cost, retail in total is £2750 including the stepper, selector, valves and spare valves (I do recommend that you take the spare valves – they were chosen after exhaustive trials of many types and were far and away the best).

Let’s start at £1300 or sensible offer.

http://www.technobear.btinternet.co.uk/images/Croft1.jpg

http://www.technobear.btinternet.co.uk/images/Croft2.jpg

http://www.technobear.btinternet.co.uk/images/Croft3.jpg

http://www.technobear.btinternet.co.uk/images/Croft4.jpg

http://www.technobear.btinternet.co.uk/images/Croft5.jpg

:stalks:

[technobear]

One correction to the above: the selector switch is Elma, not Elna.

I can also deliver between here and London as I'm often up there anyway.

I now have some photos of the interior:

http://www.technobear.btinternet.co.uk/images/Croft6.jpg

http://www.technobear.btinternet.co.uk/images/Croft7.jpg http://www.technobear.btinternet.co.uk/images/Croft8.jpg

http://www.technobear.btinternet.co.uk/images/Croft9.jpg http://www.technobear.btinternet.co.uk/images/Croft10.jpg

[DSJR]

S'cuse me, but are you TOTALLY off your noddle selling this???????

I know the Jamo's should be upgraded big-time (I do know the Cornet series), but a beautiful, classic amp like this?

I sincerely hope this amp finds a loving home - there's something almost "living" about hand-made gear like this.....

[Ali Tait]

Wow, what a lovely looking piece of kit! Like to hear one sometime.

[technobear]

I know, I know, but I am being downsized and the only way I will be able to really enjoy music in the near future is via headphones. To this end I now have a pair of Beyerdynamic T1's and the Audiolab drives them beautifully. High end speakers and the amp to drive them are no longer required so someone else can enjoy them. I know that a much cheaper amp will suffice for telly watching and the little Jamo's actually do a half decent job although they sound rather muffled compared to the Zu's as one might expect. I'm hoping tone controls might correct that to some extent, otherwise I'll look for some other cheap but decent speakers.

[luciano63]

Hi,
can you considere to ship to Italy?
best regards

[technobear]

Hi,
can you considere to ship to Italy?
best regards

Sorry. no.

[Effem]

I'll look for some other cheap but decent speakers.

Get a pair of JBL ES30s Chris, you will NOT be disappointed ;) Brand new under 200 quid too :eyebrows:

[technobear]

Get a pair of JBL ES30s Chris, you will NOT be disappointed ;) Brand new under 200 quid too :eyebrows:

Interesting. Cheers Frank! :cool:


Now who's gonna make me an offer on this luvverly Croft? :eyebrows:

Don't be confused by the spartan interior. The Devil is in the detail. This is definitely a case of less = more. What you're paying for here is the hundreds of hours Glenn Croft spent auditioning dozens of variants for every single component here to ensure that this amp never gets in the way of the music.

[technobear]

No Longer For Sale

I was gonna get a cheaper amp with tone controls for background listening with my little Jamo's but today some new loudspeakers have unexpected arrived at Technobear Towers (see Past Masters) and are sounding so bloody good without any need for tone controls that I have decided to keep the Croft.

[Marco]

Hi Chris,

I'm presuming you're selling this lovely bit of kit because you consider it as 'surplus to requirements', due to your current headphone set-up, and thus are using your Audiolab as a headphone amp?

However, knowing from experience how good the valve preamp section of the Croft is, have you ever tried connecting up a decent quality off-board headphone amp and running it through the line outputs?

My suspicion is that the results will be superior to anything that the Audiolab is capable of! ;)

Or perhaps you just need the cash? :)

Marco.

[technobear]

Hi Marco,

The Syntegra is one of those old school designs that doesn't really have a 'pre' as such. The inputs go to the selector switch, then to the volume control and then to the valves. There is no line out. There is a tape out which is confusingly labelled line out but it comes straight from the selector switch.

I did wonder about making an adaptor and plugging the headphones into this amp straight off the speaker terminals but I'm having a hard time believing it will sound better because the Audiolab's headphone output comes straight from the pre anyway.

Anyway I've decided to keep the Croft for now.

[DSJR]

My crown D-60 drives my headphones directly - the socket is tapped straight off the speaker terminals with NO attenuation at all - fine for me with no noise from the power amp at any rate.

Why not make up an adaptor? As long as the amp doesn't mind the return coupled together (most don't), you'll be amazed how much better the sound will be over a standard preamp or headphone amp, both of which will be weedy in comparison IMO...

[Marco]

The Syntegra is one of those old school designs that doesn't really have a 'pre' as such. The inputs go to the selector switch, then to the volume control and then to the valves. There is no line out. There is a tape out which is confusingly labelled line out but it comes straight from the selector switch.


Ah, I see... I thought that your 'Line Outputs' were the same as the 'Tape Outputs' on my Croft Charisma-X preamp.

I use Nick Gorham's utterly superb (the best headphone amp I've heard, bar none) OTL unit, through the Croft with my Koss PRO4AAs, and the results are stunningly good - defo better than what I've head from anything solid-state, direct from a pre or otherwise :)


I did wonder about making an adaptor and plugging the headphones into this amp straight off the speaker terminals but I'm having a hard time believing it will sound better because the Audiolab's headphone output comes straight from the pre anyway.


Yes I know that seems like the logical conclusion. However, experience tells me that this particular piece of logic doesn't necessarily always pay dividends... I shall simply say one word: 'valves' ;)


Anyway I've decided to keep the Croft for now.

Nice one, and in my opinion a smart move. If I were you, I'd definitely experiment as I have suggested :cool:

Marco.

[Marco]

I've love to hear how, say, Werner's Schiit Valhalla headphone amplifier, shown here: http://theartofsound.net/forum/showthread.php?p=264089#post264089 would sound through your Croft and T1s :)

Marco.

[Dingdong]

Am I allowed to say it would probably sound really Schiit? I'll get me coat.

[technobear]

Hmmm, OK, this sounds like something I have to try then :)

[Marco]

;)

Do let us know how you get on.

Marco.

[Marco]

Hey, Chris, how about one of these with your T1s, through the Croft:

http://europe.beyerdynamic.com/shop/hah/headphones-and-headsets/at-home/headphones-amps/a-1-220-240-v.html

Bet that would sound awesome! :eek:

Marco.

[technobear]

Hey, Chris, how about one of these with your T1s, through the Croft:

http://europe.beyerdynamic.com/shop/hah/headphones-and-headsets/at-home/headphones-amps/a-1-220-240-v.html

Bet that would sound awesome! :eek:

Marco.

I compared the A1 directly with the Audiolab and could hear no difference whatsoever.

[Marco]

Fairy muff.... I suspect that a valve headphone amp will be a different matter, though :)

Marco.

[technobear]

Fairy muff.... I suspect that a valve headphone amp will be a different matter, though :)

Marco.

Possibly. The fact that the A1 costs £800 and sounds no different to the Audiolab kind of put me off bothering to try anything else. I am curious as to how a valve headphone amp might sound different. Not sure where I'm going to get to hear one though and I would probably have to sell the Croft to pay for one.

[Marco]

Well, let's put it this way, I know someone who uses a CDQ as his source, and a separate high-quality valve preamplifier with it, finding the latter notably superior to using the preamp section of the CDQ....

Therefore, I don't see why it might not be the same in your set-up, with the Croft, and an off-board valve headphone amplifier ;)

Marco.

[Ali Tait]

I found the WD headphone amp very good. Marco, what about Nick's OTL head amp? Do you still have it? Don't recall you saying much about how it sounds?

[Marco]

I found the WD headphone amp very good. Marco, what about Nick's OTL head amp? Do you still have it? Don't recall you saying much about how it sounds?

Ahem......

From me, earlier:


I use Nick Gorham's utterly superb (the best headphone amp I've heard, bar none) OTL unit, through the Croft with my Koss PRO4AAs, and the results are stunningly good - defo better than what I've head from anything solid-state, direct from a pre or otherwise.


And yes, I still have it :)

Marco.

[Ali Tait]

:doh: It's been a long day...

[Marco]

S'ok, mate, we all get them! :eyebrows:

Marco.

[Ali Tait]

Well I was up at 4am!

[Marco]

Was there something good on Playboy TV? ;)

Marco.

[Reid Malenfant]

:lolsign:

[Ali Tait]

Was there something good on Playboy TV? ;)

Marco.

Wish it was something that good!

Nah, had to be on site near Inverness for 8.00am.