AMP upgrade question?

[the_doc735]

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)? :eyebrows:

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? :scratch:

[the_doc735]

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?

:scratch:

[danilo]

Something from Nelson Pass perhaps ??

[Macca]

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.

[the_doc735]

Something from Nelson Pass perhaps ??

Thanks, not heard of nelson, more info?

[the_doc735]

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

[the_doc735]

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?

[Light Dependant Resistor]

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

[Macca]

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-series-3-re-issue-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.

[struth]

You might be best attending some bake offs and shows like nebo etc to hear whats out there and chat with the like minded.

[Macca]

Good suggestion, next NEBO is first Saturday in May and in your neck of the woods.

[Qwin]

Good suggestion, next NEBO is first Saturday in May and in your neck of the woods.

I love your sense of scale Martin, Hull is just under 2 hours drive away from NEBO 8, depending on which side of Hull he lives. :D

Still, worth the effort in my opinion.

[Macca]

I love your sense of scale Martin, Hull is just under 2 hours drive away from NEBO 8, depending on which side of Hull he lives. :D

Still, worth the effort in my opinion.

Well it's still a damn sight closer than Stoke on Trent is ;)

[the_doc735]

So, ...I saw a VAC RENAISSANCE 30-30 300B for £2000 (RRP $7800) but faulty and a little too expensive for me with repairs.

Next, found some sophia electric 91-01 300B for £1280 (RRP $4999) M/Blocks.

20181

...may put the Puresound 2A3 (RRP £2100) with £800+ of NOS valves approved by Guy Sargeant - up for sale.

:cool::cool::cool: