Wanted - Croft Integrated Amp

[Jimbo]

I never had anyone prefer the plain 7 to a 7r in all such demos I did over the decades.

I did Dave and in fact I preferred my 7 over the Series 7R monos too!

[loonytunes]

I did Dave and in fact I preferred my 7 over the Series 7R monos too!

Looking at your signature - you went to town on the Croft pre-amp albeit hooked up to the simple little 7 power amp.

[Jimbo]

Looking at your signature - you went to town on the Croft pre-amp albeit hooked up to the simple little 7 power amp.

Yes Chris, I have listened to most gear Glenn has built over the years and owned a fair bit of it myself. My Preamp is indeed a pimped 25R so a regulated preamp but it also has the linestage from the RS which was his top model with non inductive resistors.


Advising as to what to buy is tricky as we all like different things and obviously there is lots of choice with the Croft 25 range. I can only speak for myself but I preferred his regulated preamp but non regulated power amps. The regulation in the preamps controls the sound and focusses it a little more but I felt in the power amps it was a step too far for me and that control nailed things down too much - ie too much control!?

The Series 7 power amp is superb and it drives my very large but efficient speakers very well indeed. When I tried the 7R and the 7R monos things tightened up a bit too much for me. I feel you need the control more in the preamp section rather than the power but that is just my opinion.

However the expansive huge soundstage I get and holographic vocals would suggest something is working well with the Series 7.

But some folk like a standard preamp and regulated power amp. It's a difficult one to advise without you listening to both combinations in your own system which is what I did and that was why I went down the route of 25R + and Series 7.

Hope this helps?

[loonytunes]

Yes Chris, I have listened to most gear Glenn has built over the years and owned a fair bit of it myself. My Preamp is indeed a pimped 25R so a regulated preamp but it also has the linestage from the RS which was his top model with non inductive resistors.


Advising as to what to buy is tricky as we all like different things and obviously there is lots of choice with the Croft 25 range. I can only speak for myself but I preferred his regulated preamp but non regulated power amps. The regulation in the preamps controls the sound and focusses it a little more but I felt in the power amps it was a step too far for me and that control nailed things down too much - ie too much control!?

The Series 7 power amp is superb and it drives my very large but efficient speakers very well indeed. When I tried the 7R and the 7R monos things tightened up a bit too much for me. I feel you need the control more in the preamp section rather than the power but that is just my opinion.

However the expansive huge soundstage I get and holographic vocals would suggest something is working well with the Series 7.

But some folk like a standard preamp and regulated power amp. It's a difficult one to advise without you listening to both combinations in your own system which is what I did and that was why I went down the route of 25R + and Series 7.

Hope this helps?

Yes that helps. Did you ever listen to the Croft integrated (which is a passive pre with 7 power amp in one case)? <-- this is what I am after to save shelf space.

[Jimbo]

Yes that helps. Did you ever listen to the Croft integrated (which is a passive pre with 7 power amp in one case)? <-- this is what I am after to save shelf space.

Yes I have heard the Croft Integrated. It is very good indeed. The separates just open the sound up a touch more.

[Blodger]

Just to add to the discussion, I started with the Croft integrated, the power stage being pretty much the same as the 7, then moved on to the 25R with a 7R special - a tweaked power amp with a larger transformer designed I think with Tannoys in mind, then went to the 7R monos. They were all fantastic, and my preference was for the R variants overall but I also loved the integrated - which drove some AVI Neutrons better than a Densen B100 which was rated at over twice the Croft's power! However I do remember on the long Croft thread on the WAM (now sadly mostly inaccessible) several contributors saying they preferred the unregulated power verisons - hence my comment above and confirmed subsequently by Jimbo above. I've no doubt that all of Dave's customers preferred the 7R - as I do - but there are a few who understandably think otherwise. At the end of the day they're both phenomenal amps and it's so sad Glenn is no longer around to build, modify and service them.

[Jimbo]

I think I may have liked the 7 monos (unregulated) but didn't get to hear these although I did run a mono set up with 2 Series 7 stereo power amps configured to play as monos in my system

It is very sad Rodger that Glenn is not around as I regularly had a banter with him about various things and he was a constant on my hifi journey. He did a great many adaptations and "specials" with his amplifiers to suit the needs and system requirements of the individual, almost a bespoke amplifier builder in many respects. I saw some of the huge monster one offs he built for other people that never appeared publicly as it were. It was great to have someone who would adapt amplifiers to suit your needs.

He was once asked by a customer what was the difference between the 7 and the 7R amplifiers and he simply said the 7R was heavier. That was his great sense of humour.

[cjm123]

I have a original Micro 25 which I got from HiFi Dave (thanks Dave!) and it has driven my 50 year old AMCRON/Crown D60 brilliantly but after Glenn's sad passing I wanted a Series 7 to complement my Micro 25. As usual I leave things too late but all I would say to the OP is they are well worth searching for. In the end I found a Series 7 that needed just a small repair to the +HT supply (probably caused by the original owner had left it on all the time?) and DECO did a brilliant job with the exact original components Glenn used. I then fitted a new balanced and tested JJ Tesla ECC83S phase inverter valve from Watford valves which is again the exact valve Glenn originally fitted.

The result? Well my AMCRON D60 is no slouch but my Series 7 is more transparent, faster and surprisingly also a little quieter. It also produces more solid and stable images in a wider, deeper taller sound stage and drives my Rega RX3s (also from HiFi Dave..thanks Dave!) with ease. I have also enjoyed returning an icon to its original and fully functioning condition.

I consider myself to be very lucky to have my Croft Micro25/Series 7 and needless to say they aren't going anywhere and so I wish the OP good luck in his search!

[Jimbo]

I have a original Micro 25 which I got from HiFi Dave (thanks Dave!) and it has driven my 50 year old AMCRON/Crown D60 brilliantly but after Glenn's sad passing I wanted a Series 7 to complement my Micro 25. As usual I leave things too late but all I would say to the OP is they are well worth searching for. In the end I found a Series 7 that needed just a small repair to the +HT supply (probably caused by the original owner had left it on all the time?) and DECO did a brilliant job with the exact original components Glenn used. I then fitted a new balanced and tested JJ Tesla ECC83S phase inverter valve from Watford valves which is again the exact valve Glenn originally fitted.

The result? Well my AMCRON D60 is no slouch but my Series 7 is more transparent, faster and surprisingly also a little quieter. It also produces more solid and stable images in a wider, deeper taller sound stage and drives my Rega RX3s (also from HiFi Dave..thanks Dave!) with ease. I have also enjoyed returning an icon to its original and fully functioning condition.

I consider myself to be very lucky to have my Croft Micro25/Series 7 and needless to say they aren't going anywhere and so I wish the OP good luck in his search!

I had his original Micro back in 1986 and hooked it up to a Quad 405 Mk ii and then a Leak Stereo 20. Sounded amazing at the time and cost £125! This of course was the amplifier that started it all for Glenn and put him on the road to a long and illustrious career producing some really great amplification that was always great value and competed with gear many times its price.


I did hear his original OTL all valve mono blocks and I think he used the super micro with these. Its was a matter of stand back and light the touch paper. They were beautiful to listen too with a glorious liquid midrange but they did tend to warm the room up a little too much in the summer!

[loonytunes]

I consider myself to be very lucky to have my Croft Micro25/Series 7 and needless to say they aren't going anywhere and so I wish the OP good luck in his search!

... are you sure I can't twist your arm? Nah I'm joking - I want the single box Croft Integrated.