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Integrated valve amp circa £2.5k?

G

Greyandy

pfm Member
I've been thinking about scratching my valve amp itch for some time now and may soon be in the position to be able to spend around £2.5k

My current system is:-

  • TT - Rega P3 + Neo PSU
  • Cart - Rega Ania
  • Pre Amp - Linn Kairn
  • Power Amp - Linn LK85
  • Speakers - Linn Kara's
Obviously I'll also need to think about a Phono Stage amp (am thinking about keeping the Kairn for this... advice on how to make this work greatly appreciated!). Failing that the Rega MC Phono stage gets good reviews.

So, the question is, what are my options within my budget that would see an improvement over the current system? I've been looking at the Icon Audio Stereo 40 MkIV but have not yet had the chance to audition one.

Thanks in advance for any advice.
 
Save lots of ££, add a valve pre - I am biased for several reasons, not least cost - buy a Croft pre' with a MM stage.

The valve power amp' itch was a constant nag here, but I finally managed to throw it off due to the hassle of valve life and cost mostly. (Ignoring insane NOS prices), "orthodox" preamp valves (primarily the ECC series), cost not so much and last essentially for ever.
 
Primaluna is worth considering IME.

I went from a Naim setup to a Primaluna Dialogue Premium HP Integrated (try saying that 10 times fast) and liked the results.

Not sure about which models fall within budget as I got a good deal on an ex-dem unit, but there are definitely models in the new range within scope.

Autobias and suchlike features mean they’re comparatively easy to own.
 
Lots of choice at up too £2.5K if you don't mind second hand , I haven't a clue about your speakers though, are they a difficult load or hard to drive? Really the speakers would influence you choice of what's going to work nicely.
I've seen integrated valve amps from Audio Research, Conrad Johnson, Unison Research, EAR , ART and a quite a few others for less than this kind of money.
 
Dave***t said:
Primaluna is worth considering IME.

I went from a Naim setup to a Primaluna Dialogue Premium HP Integrated (try saying that 10 times fast) and liked the results.

Not sure about which models fall within budget as I got a good deal on an ex-dem unit, but there are definitely models in the new range within scope.

Autobias and suchlike features mean they’re comparatively easy to own.
Click to expand...

good choice dave , what about this ??

https://pinkfishmedia.net/forum/threads/primaluna-dialogue-premium-amplifier.254214/#post-4333301
 
Yaqin MC10 and change, use some of the change to get a buck transformer to make it 240V compatible, then some for boutique valves of your choice. It's as good as any EL34 design, and looks great.
 
The Unison Research Triode 25 is a lovely valve integrated, and there is a version with a built in DAC (which is surprisingly decent). It had Pentode and Triode modes which actually make a big difference, since power is halved (in comparison to the Primaluna mentioned above, for example, which is also a superb amp, but the triode/ultralinear mode difference is rather subtle so not such a valuable feature to my ears).

I should say that I make this recommendation without really knowing what Saras need (presuming they are Saras and 'Kara' is a typo)
 
Curiosity again - just hunting for info' - if they are Saras, they are very far from an ideal choice for valve amplification - nominal 4R impedence and supposedly not an easy load either. 88dB/w/m

No doubt somebody who knows real details will be along.......
 
Yeah "Kara" most likely a typo for Sara
As far as I know hard load, the budget fit 2x Nap 135, probably the amp they were designed on.
Not a setup I'd put a P3 in front of.
 
Graaf gm50b. Absolutely lovely amp. Superb sound. The mk 2 version had a much nicer remote control, the mk1 version remote was a bit cheap looking. When they come up 2nd hand, they tend to go for under £2k, which leaves a bit in the pot for a phono stage or just more music.
 
Vinny said:
Save lots of ££, add a valve pre - I am biased for several reasons, not least cost - buy a Croft pre' with a MM stage.

The valve power amp' itch was a constant nag here, but I finally managed to throw it off due to the hassle of valve life and cost mostly. (Ignoring insane NOS prices), "orthodox" preamp valves (primarily the ECC series), cost not so much and last essentially for ever.
Click to expand...

I second this opinion, the sound I enjoy most is a Croft pre and a decent solid state power having been through a few valve integrated amps. The Linn LK85 is 10K input impedance and high-ish sensitivity so you would need to get a Croft pre that has had the gain/impedance lowered.
 
Linn Sara's were designed for use with Naim Power Amps, so they like a bit of current. They will work with other amplifiers, but you will need to match carefully, especially with valves.
 
The Bish said:
The Linn LK85 is 10K input impedance and high-ish sensitivity so you would need to get a Croft pre that has had the gain/impedance lowered.
Click to expand...

There's no way a Croft pre will drive a power amp with 10KOhm input impedance properly - it will sound anaemic. As a point of comparison, Croft power amps are 470KOhm.
 
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