What's next? Looking for recommendations...

[alexk0il]

good amp that

Reading reviews, looks like a great bargain. Too bad no headphones . Also, seems to be tuned for amazing accuracy and details rather than for vintage rich sound, right?

[Sherwood]

Reading reviews, looks like a great bargain. Too bad no headphones . Also, seems to be tuned for amazing accuracy and details rather than for vintage rich sound, right?

It is a superb amp. Operates entirely in digital domain using very high speed pulse wave modulation. Sound is very neutral with quite a lot of grunt.

This has been barely used in recent years due to ill health (just home after nearly a month in hospital). I have the original box somewhere and the amp itself looks almost new.

Geoff

[walpurgis]

This has been barely used in recent years due to ill health (just home after nearly a month in hospital).

Geoff

Hope you're feeling better Geoff.

[struth]

Hope you're feeling better Geoff.

+1

[alexk0il]

It is a superb amp... This has been barely used in recent years due to ill health (just home after nearly a month in hospital).
Geoff

Sorry to hear that, wish you to get better soon. I'm sure DDA-100 is more refined than my old school Hitachi, I'm seriously tempted, though I don't see how I can live without the headphone socket. There is no way to add it, right?

[alexk0il]

A quad 306 power amp and a passive pre-amp could give you what you want. The sound quality would be very good.

Like the idea of power amp and pre-amp. Looking at Hitachi HMA/HCA 6500/7500 combos, though these are way above my price range. Plus would need to recap them, which adds costs and time. Confused

Anyway, if I am after the sound with clarity and added rich texture, would this be down to the properties of the pre-amp, power-amp or both?

[Sherwood]

Sorry to hear that, wish you to get better soon. I'm sure DDA-100 is more refined than my old school Hitachi, I'm seriously tempted, though I don't see how I can live without the headphone socket. There is no way to add it, right?

It has a single TosLink digital output so you can add a budget headphone amp if required.

[Macca]

Thank you. NADs look interesting, checking a few options, split between vintage and later options.

Any ideas how the following models compare in terms of sound quality? Don't need phono.
* 320 BEE (based on the original 3020, right?)
* NAD 3150
* NAD C352 (are C352T or C352CT the same?)

Thanks

as far as I know the 320BEE isn't based on the 3020, it has three times the power output of the 3020, is from 25 years later and different designer. It does have the 'warm' balance you seem to be after though.

No idea about the C352T, sorry.

[walpurgis]

Like the idea of power amp and pre-amp. Looking at Hitachi HMA/HCA 6500/7500 combos, though these are way above my price range. Plus would need to recap them, which adds costs and time.

The Hitachi power amps of that era were OK, but the pre-amps were not great, a bit dull and two dimensional sounding.

[Macca]

I read that early 1980s is best for Hitachi, JVC, that whole bunch. Better transistors became available and it was before the cost-cutting started.