valve amplification

[floyd droid]

Gb. ive had a moosie around audioemotions webby site. Home dems encouraged. So maybe give them a call and ask about the Icon Stereo 40 mkiii (have a butchers on Icons site,very flexible amp indeedy). I have a cunning plan,oh yeah im spending your hard earned as well.

Lets say you can sort out a dem from them (offer to pay the carrier pigeons fee ) and you love the amp, give this a bit of thought.

Yeah yeah its way over your 850 max out. Ask how much for your Rokkie , add that to your 850 then ask if you could have the balance on tick (they do finance on all products ). So your £850.47 pence,lol, could be a nice deposit.

Ok the Yarland is a whole bunch cheaper (if you like it enough to be a keeper) but somewhere down the line you are going to want to move up the ladder, after ive got you to change phono stage,lol. The Icon is going to be much easier to shift. A huge plus with Icons are you can have their amps tweaked/fixed/whathaveyou at base camp in Leicester, plus they are always on the end of the blower if you need verbal back up.

Just a thought gb

Keep us up to speed with the Ming Da dem from Jack.

 

[gbhsi1]

Gb. ive had a moosie around audioemotions webby site. Home dems encouraged. So maybe give them a call and ask about the Icon Stereo 40 mkiii (have a butchers on Icons site,very flexible amp indeedy). I have a cunning plan,oh yeah im spending your hard earned as well.

Lets say you can sort out a dem from them (offer to pay the carrier pigeons fee ) and you love the amp, give this a bit of thought.

Yeah yeah its way over your 850 max out. Ask how much for your Rokkie , add that to your 850 then ask if you could have the balance on tick (they do finance on all products ). So your £850.47 pence,lol, could be a nice deposit.

Ok the Yarland is a whole bunch cheaper (if you like it enough to be a keeper) but somewhere down the line you are going to want to move up the ladder, after ive got you to change phono stage,lol. The Icon is going to be much easier to shift. A huge plus with Icons are you can have their amps tweaked/fixed/whathaveyou at base camp in Leicester, plus they are always on the end of the blower if you need verbal back up.

Just a thought gb

Keep us up to speed with the Ming Da dem from Jack.

how my choices would be easier if I had £5000 to spend I've spoken to icon audio and was advised that my speakers are quite low on sensitivity 85db therefore it needs a more powerful amp to drive the heavy load - the Mk 60 was suggested but we are looking at £2600 more or less......way too much for me :-/ this decision malarkey ain't easy. maybe I'll get the icon audio pre amp at £999 and use my power amp for now then save up for a pair of icon audio mono blocks! buying the pre amp is a step in the right direction me thinks.....

 

[floyd droid]

Gb are your speakers the Motive 2 or the Motive 2 se ?.

 

[gbhsi1]

Gb are your speakers the Motive 2 or the Motive 2 se ?.

hi Floyd - it's the neat motive 2 not the SE

 

[floyd droid]

Gb are your speakers the Motive 2 or the Motive 2 se ?.

hi Floyd - it's the neat motive 2 not the SE

Lol,matey at Icon is talking SELF DELETED but it ended in ks,lol. Your neats ,on paper, with a standing 85db @ 8ohms nominal load aint all that difficult to drive. I say on paper because it depends if Neats figures are true !.

Ok,to prove it to yourself get a dem Icon 40 shipped down from AudioEmotion for starters.

Re the Ming Da. Guys over on the Wam have been driving speakers which will make yours seem like 90db !!.

Wait for the Ming from Jack. When you get it,try it the 8 ohm tap first then the 4ohm. Do the same with the Icon if you get hold of one. Just because your speakers have a nominal load of 8 dosnt mean you cant use the 4 ohm taps. Dont worry you wont break owt or go up in a puff of smoke.

Patience Master Luke,patience The whole point of this thread was that you wanted to hear a valve amp as you never have. Wait and listen first. While you are on,give your wallet to your missus.

 

[gbhsi1]

Gb are your speakers the Motive 2 or the Motive 2 se ?.

hi Floyd - it's the neat motive 2 not the SE

Lol,matey at Icon is talking SELF DELETED but it ended in ks,lol. Your neats ,on paper, with a standing 85db @ 8ohms nominal load aint all that difficult to drive. I say on paper because it depends if Neats figures are true !.

Ok,to prove it to yourself get a dem Icon 40 shipped down from AudioEmotion for starters.

Re the Ming Da. Guys over on the Wam have been driving speakers which will make yours seem like 90db !!.

Wait for the Ming from Jack. When you get it,try it the 8 ohm tap first then the 4ohm. Do the same with the Icon if you get hold of one. Just because your speakers have a nominal load of 8 dosnt mean you cant use the 4 ohm taps. Dont worry you wont break owt or go up in a puff of smoke.

Patience Master Luke,patience The whole point of this thread was that you wanted to hear a valve amp as you never have. Wait and listen first. While you are on,give your wallet to your missus.

Looks like I've got my eye on the Ming da Mc-7 pre amp (secondhand with new valves from an authorised dealer unless it gets snapped up before I get paid in July) start with and then later on I'll get some valve mono blocks to complete the valve hi fi.....eventually replacing the speakers! forever evolving

 

[Anonymous]

Hi there, I love valves! However I would be very careful dealing with Icon Audio. I used to own an Icon Stereo 50 for about 8 months and it was nothing but trouble. It actually went back to Icon when it suddenly stopped working in the right channel and was returned (4 weeks later) with no explanation and still (as I found out from a valve tech friend) with the underlying problem which caused the breakdown in the first place. The problem was something called PARASITIC OSCILLATION (right channel) and according to my valve tech friend was due to a flawed design which would have entailed a very expensive 'rebuild' to put right. I found Icon Audio (incl David Shaw) to be rude, arrogant and unwilling to answer basic questions. In fact in nearly 40 years of being a hifi enthusiast the very worst hifi company I've ever had the misfortune to deal with.

As a result I ended up selling this at a loss and instead I've now got a Croft Series 7 (valve/mosfet hybrid) power amp with Audionote M-Zero R valve preamp combo. This works very well and I'm glad to say that both Audionote UK and particularly Croft Acoustics (Hi Glenn!:wave: ) are excellent to deal with and always willing to answer queries.

 

[CnoEvil]

Hi there, I love valves! However I would be very careful dealing with Icon Audio. I used to own an Icon Stereo 50 for about 8 months and it was nothing but trouble. It actually went back to Icon when it suddenly stopped working in the right channel and was returned (4 weeks later) with no explanation and still (as I found out from a valve tech friend) with the underlying problem which caused the breakdown in the first place. The problem was something called PARASITIC OSCILLATION (right channel) and according to my valve tech friend was due to a flawed design which would have entailed a very expensive 'rebuild' to put right. I found Icon Audio (incl David Shaw) to be rude, arrogant and unwilling to answer basic questions. In fact in nearly 40 years of being a hifi enthusiast the very worst hifi company I've ever had the misfortune to deal with.

As a result I ended up selling this at a loss and instead I've now got a Croft Series 7 (valve/mosfet hybrid) power amp with Audionote M-Zero R valve preamp combo. This works very well and I'm glad to say that both Audionote UK and particularly Croft Acoustics (Hi Glenn!:wave: ) are excellent to deal with and always willing to answer queries.

I'm sorry to hear that, as these stories are never good to hear.

Have you heard of any other cases, or were you just unlucky....which happens from time to time. Please understand that I'm not in any way trying to play down what happened to you.

 

[gbhsi1]

Hi there, I love valves! However I would be very careful dealing with Icon Audio. I used to own an Icon Stereo 50 for about 8 months and it was nothing but trouble. It actually went back to Icon when it suddenly stopped working in the right channel and was returned (4 weeks later) with no explanation and still (as I found out from a valve tech friend) with the underlying problem which caused the breakdown in the first place. The problem was something called PARASITIC OSCILLATION (right channel) and according to my valve tech friend was due to a flawed design which would have entailed a very expensive 'rebuild' to put right. I found Icon Audio (incl David Shaw) to be rude, arrogant and unwilling to answer basic questions. In fact in nearly 40 years of being a hifi enthusiast the very worst hifi company I've ever had the misfortune to deal with.

As a result I ended up selling this at a loss and instead I've now got a Croft Series 7 (valve/mosfet hybrid) power amp with Audionote M-Zero R valve preamp combo. This works very well and I'm glad to say that both Audionote UK and particularly Croft Acoustics (Hi Glenn!:wave: ) are excellent to deal with and always willing to answer queries.

oh what a horror story - sorry to hear the misfortune of having bad customer service! it shouldn't happen but it does. the Ming da guys seem nice chaps so hopefully it will be a good purchase

 

[Anonymous]

Hi there, as regards other cases. Deco Audio (who do modifications of valve equipment for a price) WERE going to fix this amp for me (but in the end I decided to sell because of the cost of the rebuild and I just couldn't bring myself to continue using an Icon Audio product, after all valves amps DO need servicing from time to time and if you've got an uncooperative manufacturer or one that you have little faith in this becomes a problem). They told me that they stopped stocking Icon Audio products because of " the arrogant attitude of Icon Audio" and weren't surprised by their attitude. So in answer to your question: No I don't personally know of other cases but it seems that some of the hifi dealers have had bad experiences with them. Ming Da, Yaqin and Bewitch (all Chinese) are (so I've heard) all excellent btw.

 

[CnoEvil]

Hi there, as regards other cases. Deco Audio (who do modifications of valve equipment for a price) WERE going to fix this amp for me (but in the end I decided to sell because of the cost of the rebuild and I just couldn't bring myself to continue using an Icon Audio product, after all valves amps DO need servicing from time to time and if you've got an uncooperative manufacturer or one that you have little faith in this becomes a problem). They told me that they stopped stocking Icon Audio products because of " the arrogant attitude of Icon Audio" and weren't surprised by their attitude. So in answer to your question: No I don't personally know of other cases but it seems that some of the hifi dealers have had bad experiences with them. Ming Da, Yaqin and Bewitch (all Chinese) are (so I've heard) all excellent btw.

Thx for the clarification.

Cno

 

[floyd droid]

Hairy, baring in mind the Icon 50 is no longer with us. Was this during Icons fledgling days ?.

 

[chebby]

I came quite close to considering an Icon Audio Stereo 20 PP a couple of times recently for the basis of a second system.

Thanks for dispelling that idea.

Any other 15 - 20 wpc, affordable, valve integrateds out there worth considering? (For small room use at moderate volumes.)

 

[floyd droid]

Chebby. I would like to think that Icon have upped the ante since its early days and have my thoughts regarding Hairys experience with them, but thats by the by. Could you expand a bit on 'affordable' .

Im guessing 600 tops ?

 

[tino]

@Chebby ... Can't think of a new affordable <£300 valve amp ... so here are some cheaper hybrids ...

Ernestolo Carot One

15W hybrid ... labelled as built in Italy but me thinks it's a dressed up clone.

Mistral DT307A 25W Hybrid

 

[gbhsi1]

@Chebby ... Can't think of a new affordable <£300 valve amp ... so here are some cheaper hybrids ...

Ernestolo Carot One

15W hybrid ... labelled as built in Italy but me thinks it's a dressed up clone.

Mistral DT307A 25W Hybrid

the mistral looks interesting is it mainly for smaller rooms, smaller speakers etc?

 

[Anonymous]

Hi there, the Icon Stereo 50 was purchased January 2011. I find it interesting:shifty: that they seem to have 'superceded' this model.

 

[floyd droid]

Blimey i thought went into the 'dis con' bin way before that. Nowt better to do today so im off for a bit of digging.

 

[shafesk]

@Chebby ... Can't think of a new affordable <£300 valve amp ... so here are some cheaper hybrids ...

Ernestolo Carot One

15W hybrid ... labelled as built in Italy but me thinks it's a dressed up clone.

Mistral DT307A 25W Hybrid

the mistral looks interesting is it mainly for smaller rooms, smaller speakers etc?

Owned the mistral youre looking at, good amp for the price but don't be fooled it just doesn't have the muscle to drive even moderately efficient speakers to moderately loud levels in a medium sized rooms....try 90+db efficiency with these.

 

[floyd droid]

the mistral looks interesting is it mainly for smaller rooms, smaller speakers etc?

Serious piece of kit is that gb, hey you can even plumb your ipod into it . Tongue firmly wedged in cheek.

280 quids worth of serious kit

 

[Anonymous]

A better alternative for about the same money would be the Puresound A10 or the ever popular Ariand FV34B (if you can get one!). The Puresound is only 10 watts of Class A valves but with efficient speakers (90 db and up) it will sound like more like 40 watts of transistor power. Whoops sorry! I see you meant <300 these will be nearer £500.

 

[floyd droid]

Have i missed something , where did Tino get 300 notes or less from ?.

 

[gbhsi1]

the mistral looks interesting is it mainly for smaller rooms, smaller speakers etc?

Serious piece of kit is that gb, hey you can even plumb your ipod into it . Tongue firmly wedged in cheek.

280 quids worth of serious kit

my speakers seem to be an issue as they are power hungry due to their low sensitivity. Still have my eye on the Ming da MC7 as a pre amp or the Ariand Intergrated. Just seen my new flat and the work is now completed but started to scratch my head thinking were the hell will the hi fi go- I will find a way, even if the girlfriend has to sit on the wooden floor. Oh and I dont even know what my speakers will sound like in an interily new space. Hope they don't sound sh*t....

 

[floyd droid]

I was avin a larf re the Mistral gb. I did suggest earlier in the thread that it you should hold fire until you move and get sorted.

 

[gbhsi1]

I was avin a larf re the Mistral gb. I did suggest earlier in the thread that it you should hold fire until you move and get sorted.

Yes I know you were joking Floyd. I will wait and make the right decision for me