Silly season find: budget valve amps

[Labarum]

My Android phone is still pushing articles at me. Try this:


https://thevinylfactory.com/features/the-8-best-budget-valve-amplifiers-and-how-to-avoid-getting-ripped-off/amp/

Knowing where to look for the decent stuff cannot be easy. Quad do a re-worked range

http://www.quad-hifi.co.uk/product.php?cid=7

http://www.quad-hifi.co.uk/product-detail.php?pid=41


And Radford remakes are available. I think I would trust them.

http://www.radfordrevival.co.uk/sta-reissue/

What do those with "knowledge" think of the current market? I am sure the article is right - there is a lot of dodgy junk on the market. There will also be a lot of overpriced boutique stuff. Where are the decent products at fair prices, given this technology is inherently expensive?

Not that I am in the market for a valve amp, but I am interested! Or do I mean nosey?

[walpurgis]

The first article linked to is written by somebody who has clearly not tried the items he mentions. He is also ill informed.

The little Quad VA-One looks like fun. Bet it's not cheap though.

[Labarum]

The little Quad VA-One looks like fun. Bet it's not cheap though.


£1300

https://www.gramophone.co.uk/feature/product-of-the-month-quad-va-one

[Ali Tait]

Struggle to beat kits from the likes of WD or Transcendent Sound for VFM. Currently use a Mini Beast, which is the best sounding amp I’ve had in my system period, and it does better and deeper bass than any of the SS amps I have. You do need speakers that are happy with 4w/ch though.

[Jazid]

I have a Lowther Jazz 6L6 which is a stone cold bargain in terms of sound per pound somewhere near £550 imported new (I guess), and valves are cheap and plentiful. Jake loved his J Sound Labs 300b though they're out of business, and Almarro 6C33P amps are pretty stellar VFM as well. Leak stereo 20 and TL12+ are plentiful and sound excellent at around half the cost of a Radford (which I accept is a better amp). Some of the Rogers amps are decent too and quite cheap when available. Yes you need less insensitive speakers for these amps but there are benefits in going down that route as well as limitations.

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[Lawrence001]

I have a Lowther Jazz 6L6 which is a stone cold bargain in terms of sound per pound somewhere near £550 imported new (I guess), and valves are cheap and plentiful. Jake loved his J Sound Labs 300b though they're out of business, and Almarro 6C33P amps are pretty stellar VFM as well. Leak stereo 20 and TL12+ are plentiful and sound excellent at around half the cost of a Radford (which I accept is a better amp). Some of the Rogers amps are decent too and quite cheap when available. Yes you need less insensitive speakers for these amps but there are benefits in going down that route as well as limitations.

Sent from my BLA-L09 using TapatalkI take it they're not the same Lowther as made the full range drivers? Did they buy the name?

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[Jazid]

I think it's the Lowther Club of Hong-Kong, so a resurrected circuit lovingly brought back to life by Lowther fanatics. You can probably guess the choice of speaker they were designed for...

It's a damn fine amp!

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