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I am in the market for my first tube amp. I am having a very hard time choosing which amo to buy. My budget is about $750 and I need an integrated amp, so I will probably buy something used. So far my choices are1. ASL AQ1003
2. ASL AQ1001
3. Jolida 302b
4. Anthem Int. 1
5. Golden tube SI-50All of these amps go for about $400-$600 used so they are in my price range. My question is which one will sound best with my speakers which are Klipsch Heresy 2 and my room is aprox 14ft x 19ft. I am leaning towards the ASL AQ1001 because according to the designer of these amps this am uses higher quality parts than the AQ1003 and I also like the fact that it has plenty of power. Am i making the right decision?
thanks
Follow Ups:
I recently 'took the plunge' too. I've nothing other than previous SS amps to compare it to (if I discount dubious hifi show demos!), but - with 90dB sensitive speakers from the same outfit - I've definitely put upgrades on the back burner for a year at least.Good luck, anyway, whatever you end up getting.
well the word straigth from my dealer is that, while he loves the sound of both the asl1003dt and the 1001dt, he could only recomend the 1003dt. Seems he has had nothing but problems with 90% of all the 1001dt's he has sold. Yet never any problems with the 1003.I also don't think you need 50 watts of power wit heresy's... 30 is even a lot for those in my opinion. Have you thought of a cheaper SET??? like the asl MG SE 15 DT???? it has 15/5 watts depending on what you want, and would probalby be a much better match with a 98db speaker like the heresy. or mabey a set of the asl wave mono's and a passive pre-amp, still pretty cheap at $110 for each mono and 2-300 for the pre. The mono's are most dealers loss-leader, as in they only make about 15-$30.00, on them, so they are a pretty good deal.
cheers,
Colin
I agree with the suggesstion for the ASL MG SE 15DT. In single ended triode mode,("i believe")5wpc should be more than enough power for most music, unless your a head banger. And in the pentode mode with 15wpc you should have more than enough power to (relatively) crank it up to satisfactory levels with 98dbs/sen speakers. You will have two amps in one! As for the ASL "Wave 8" monos, I own these, & while they have more than enough power to drive my 92dbs/sen JBL's to more than satisfactory levels, they lack a little sparkle in the top end/plus side produce PLENTY of bass. Also there are only a couple of different types of tubes available for the WAVE 8's, & they dont change the sound much, whereas the MG SE 15DT, has different driver tubes as well as power tubes, & you could "taylor it to your liking". PS, i'm thinking of buying the MG SE15DT myself & would like any opinions, good or bad on this amp, & is it a true single ended triode!? Below is a link to ASL. Keep looking & your sure to find something to fit your taste & budget! Tom
I too wanted to get into tube equipment but cost ( WKHF-wife killing husband factor) was a concern. What I did was first buy a stock Dynaco ST-70. Used a Marantz 2230 (about $80 on ebay) for the preamp. Then I finally added a Dynaco PAS preamp.From there you can begin to restore and or upgrade in steps.
I know the most important part of a system is the preamp. But when you first hear a tube amp and your looking at those glowing bottles - its magic.
Dynaco ST-70 $350-400
Dynaco PAS preamp $100-150
Marantz 2230 $80-90 (temporary but I STILL use it often, one heck of a reciever and great to have while the other equipment is being serviced)And if you use a tuner DO try the Dynaco FM-3. Sound wise it can't be beat, with some minor improvements. But if reception is a concern look into SS tuners.
Charles
I would recommend both Jolida and ASL highly (though I have only used amps higher in cost than you are thinking about). Build quality and sound are excellent at their price points.I have heard of quality problems with Golden Tube but have never listened to them. You might want to check Archives.
Good luck.
Check in the recommended components list for tube amps in last month's Stereophile. There is a tube amp that is very highly rated (and has been very highly rated for a long time) that sells in kit form for around $1,200. I know that is more than you wanted to spend, but you may want to consider it. You will forget about the extra few hundred dollars that you spent up front if you are happy with the purchase later on and it keeps you off the upgrade path. By the way, I think you are putting together a nice system using a tube amp and Heresy speakers and all.
Most Antique Sound Lab stuff sounds very good and build like a tank! my comment is that the ASL stuff is the best among the group. You will not go wrong!
drfg
Again
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