Valve Recommendations

[admin_exported]

Hi there, was just wondering if any of you folk could recomend an new valve amplifier for my setup. I run my turntable (NAD 5120) as well as my Ipod into a fairly ok cambridge audio reciever, obviously with a preamp inbetween it and the turntable. Finally my speakers are Spendor-made LS3/5As.

Has anyone got any recomendations? My absolute maximum would be about £500 on this one. (oh and an amplifier with a headphone out would be splendid)

many thanks.

 

[CJSF]

Hi there, was just wondering if any of you folk could recomend an new valve amplifier for my setup. I run my turntable (NAD 5120) as well as my Ipod into a fairly ok cambridge audio reciever, obviously with a preamp inbetween it and the turntable. Finally my speakers are Spendor-made LS3/5As.

Has anyone got any recomendations? My absolute maximum would be about £500 on this one. (oh and an amplifier with a headphone out would be splendid)

many thanks.

'Icon Audio; do a Stereo 20PP integrated amp with headphone socket at £549.00, you would need to go to one of their dealers, find all details on the Icon Audio site.

 

[hoopsontoast]

Something like the Icon Audio above or the Puresound A10 could be worth a look. The larger Puresound A30 can be had for around £500-£600 S/H, the smaller A10 about £300.

Plenty of Audio Innovations like the Series 300 and 400 integrated amps can be had for that money.

You can get an Audion Sterling in budget as well, they come in single input/volume control and full integrated with 5 inputs/volume control and in EL34 or KT88 flavours.

Although none have an headphone output, wont be many in your price range that do.

Only on I know of that does is the Consonance Cyber 10SE, has a USB input/DAC too but is a SET with KT88 and only about 7wpc output. It is in budget S/H but quite rare now. Its a nice little bit of kit, I had one for a while, along with the Audion and Puresound A10 mentioned.

 

[shafesk]

HI SJS, the problem at the 500 pound budget for tube amps is that you don't really get a lot of power. I know the bbc monitors are not hard to drive but you can better tell whether it will work with a 15 watt/channel amp. My Mezzos at 89db sensitivity work fine with 18 watts though. The Icon is a fine amp though, if it can drive your speakers then its highly recommended.

 

[hoopsontoast]

To be fair, the little LS3/5a's wont take much power, so although they are around 80dB-83dB I would have thought anything with 10-30w will be more than enough. Asuming that these are the 8ohm rather than 15ohm model.

My Kolts (similar size and design as the LS3/5a) were built to compete with them, and really do well on the end of everything from a 2wpc SET (Decware Zen), 10wpc PP EL84 (Puresound A10 and AudioNote Oto), 15w KT88 SE (Audion Sterling Plus) to big SS Battleships like the Denon PMA-2000ae and Sony TA-F770ES. FWIW, they were best on the Audion Sterling KT88, I did try the EL34 in it but prefered the KT88, bit more drive over the slighly soft sounding EL34.