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My tube gear is currently out of commission (see post below "Help! Novice with smoking tube"). Fortunately, I have an NAD amp and preamp to use while I'm getting it fixed. Since I no longer require a high current SS amp, I want to sell the NAD stuff and get a SS integrated amp to keep around for when my tube gear is in the shop. Any suggestions for models which are the most tube-like? I listen mostly to acoustic guitar and voice, string quartets and small jazz combos. I can spend up to around $1500 new. Thanks in advance for your help. Also, I've noticed that many string quartet recordings sound hard and kind of screechy for lack of a better word. If you were to generalize, are strings in that kind of a setting hard to reproduce or are there just a lot of mediocre recordings out there?
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I borrowed an Arcam A85 when I was between preamps a while back. It's preamp section was surprisingly good, and the phono stage was also above average and very musical.On the other hand, the amp section was about what you'd expect for the price.
Try the Mistral LFD LE integrated. For SS, it has a more tube-like quality.
one other thought, though may not be at all what you're after. have you thought about an inexpensive integrated tube amp? may not be a bad idea to look into an asl or jolida integrated tube amp. you can get them pretty cheap used on audiogon. just a thought.also, i think classe and plinius both have decent integrateds, though i'm not sure of their power.
Get a Creek integrated, virtually any model. I own the 6060 and it is very smooth and well-behaved. At least, for a SS amp.
The Unison Research Unico hybrid amp (80 wpc) might fill your needs. The advantage the Unico offers over SS is that you can fine tune it by changing the stock 12AU7 tubes to those of your taste.
Look at PS Audio. Their preamp is decent. Yes, there are many mediocre recordings made with hastily designed and manufactured gear and by mindless blevitt recording engineers. James
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