Audio advice for the terminally cheap?

[tfarney]

I'm just thinking out loud here, and way ahead of myself. But if, after I get a set of single driver desktops and a sub in, I wanted to upgrade my vintage Harman Kardon integrated to something more modern, with higher resolution, where would you look? I won't need much power. 20 watts per channel would be plenty. 40 would constitute a wealth of headroom (always a good thing). And, of course, I'm cheap.

The usual suspects at the leading edge of mid fi? NAD, Cambridge Audio, etc? A good headphone section is a must-have.

As background, the trusty old HK isn't bad at all. It was the top recipient of tech trickle-down from the 70's Citation series, dual mono design, tone bi-pass, semi parametric eq. Not bad at all. Recently serviced up to very respectable specs circa '73 or so, a big, warm sound for SS and not at all noisy. A very conservative 45 watts.

If I were to upgrade, the objective would be detail. The ability to hear into the sweet, highly resolved mids I expect the Tektons are capable of.

Any radical ideas?

Tim

[Steve Toy]

A cheap valve amp imported from China. Do a search for Yaqin or Bewitch.

[tfarney]

A cheap valve amp imported from China. Do a search for Yaqin or Bewitch.

Really? You think a cheap valve amp would meet the objective of detail better than an integrated from Cambridge or NAD?

Tim

[alb]

Really? You think a cheap valve amp would meet the objective of detail better than an integrated from Cambridge or NAD?

Yes. But as i found out,the pursuit of maximum detail doesn't always result in an enjoyable sound. Especially when using stuff from the lower end of the market.

Another alternative would be to use a power amp of your choice with a Little Dot tube headphone/pre amp. That way you get a good headphone amp and a less compromised amplifier.

[Iain Sinclair]

I've heard good things about the Nuforce Icon amp; a mere $199:

http://amazon.nuforce-icon.com/

'The NuForce Icon is an audiophile-grade Integrated Desktop Audio Amplifier featuring two 12-watt outputs, a 3.5-mm stereo input for connection to an iPod or other portable device, a USB cable for operation with a PC or Mac, and standard RCA inputs for employing the Icon as the heart of a conventional audio system. For the headphone enthusiast, the Icon also offers a high-performance headphone output.'

[tfarney]

Well, once I get the Tekton speakers in place, the amp will be the only thing that keeps me in the mid-fi realm. It will be an unusual set-up in a nearfield configuration. There will be compromises, of course, but it should be capable of excellent imaging and resolution up to 20khz. I may find then that my DAC is the limitation, but I'll cross that bridge when I get to it. I'll try my cheapo amps first - the old HK, which is very warm and smooth, with a good bottom end, but just seems a bit soft all the way around, the Pahasonic digital receiver, which is lean and fast and very detailed...but perhaps a bit brutal. If one of them sounds great with the Tektons, I may be good to go. In the meantime, I was thinking about one of these...

http://www.6moons.com/audioreviews/glow/one.html

The Tektons have an efficiency rating of 90 db, and 5 watts might really be stretching it, but maybe not. They're going to be just 3, 3.5 feet from my head, and a sub will be handling everything below 75hz. And that would also give me a nice headphone amp...

Any thoughts on that scheme?

Tim

[Alan]

Seriously consider some of Richard Dunn's designs - really revealing. To paraphrase the bumph (not marketing! :ner: ) in his eBay store: "My biggest hang - up is information retrieval..."

He does a 20 & a 30 watt integrated I think, and 40 watt monoblocks (which will need a passive pre) which are really superb. I still use mine as the top half of my Bi - amp setup. * just spotted a traded in 30 watt power amp *

I think he has a heavily discounted pair of these A40s ('B Stock) for sale right now ("terminally cheap", I think you said...)

Let me see if I have successfully learned how to make a link. (if not see 'NVA' - nenevalleyaudio - on UK eBay).

NVA (http://stores.ebay.co.uk/nene-valley-audio_W0QQssPageNameZstrkQ3amefsQ3amesstQQtZkm)

[tfarney]

Seriously consider some of Richard Dunn's designs - really revealing. To paraphrase the bumph (not marketing! :ner: ) in his eBay store: "My biggest hang - up is information retrieval..."

He does a 20 & a 30 watt integrated I think, and 40 watt monoblocks (which will need a passive pre) which are really superb. I still use mine as the top half of my Bi - amp setup. * just spotted a traded in 30 watt power amp *

I think he has a heavily discounted pair of these A40s ('B Stock) for sale right now ("terminally cheap", I think you said...)

Let me see if I have successfully learned how to make a link. (if not see 'NVA' - nenevalleyaudio - on UK eBay).

NVA (http://stores.ebay.co.uk/nene-valley-audio_W0QQssPageNameZstrkQ3amefsQ3amesstQQtZkm)

Wow. What an interesting guy. I'm tempted to buy one of his amps just based on his manifesto. The "personal" would be the right choice for the speakers. 15 watts of solid A/B would be plenty. But I'm afraid, while the philosophy is attractive, the extreme to which he has taken it is just too scary and inconvenient. An amp that voids the warranty if you use anything but this very small company's speaker cables? You have to unplug the speakers to listen to the headphone jack? Again...wow. His aversion to the introduction of noise and degradation of SQ is admirable if extreme. But I'm going to need something with a bit more stability, even if it is compromised a bit in the process. And given the current exchange rate, the bargain is substantially hurt by the horrible condition of the dollar. Thanks, though. I'll bookmark this ebay site. I may have to have something of his at some point, just because...

Tim

[Alan]

I see your point, especially re exchange rate.:doh:

As an aside, I believe the warranties are valid if you stick to the correct type of low capacitance cable (he gives the ratings somewhere on the site), but these amps are easy to smoke.:steam:

Best wishes in your search, Alan.:)

[juju_hound]

stay vintage!

[tfarney]

stay vintage!

It's the first thing I'll try...the old Harman Kardon. If it has some good synergy with the Tektons, I'll be done.

tim